[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Photomaniac

I've been fortunate enough to meet several of my all time musical heroes.

Pat Martino- I had just driven cross country from Maryland to Los Angeles to attend GIT. School hadn't even started yet but I was touring the building to check things out. I walked into the recording studio and there was Pat Martino! At that point in my life I was listening to his "Footprints" album almost everyday and so I was thrilled to meet him. He was super nice and was a guest teacher for the entire year I was there. I got to know him and jammed with him many times. What a monster player!

Pat Metheny- I was on tour in the midwest and Metheny was in town. I overheard someone mention what hotel he was staying at and my crazy girlfriend picked up the phone and called him and he answered! She explained we were pro musicians who loved his music and would really like to meet him. He told us to come backstage after the show! I actually met him on several other occasions as well. Also got to meet his keyboard player Lyle Mays who gave my girlfriend a piano lesson after the show. He had a keyboard backstage that made no sound and he was showing her hand stretching exercises since she was having some problems with pain in her hands.

Tommy Emmanuel- The usual after show autograph session that Tommy always does. Hard to think of a better guitar player and nicer guy than Tommy E.

Steve Morse- Met him at GIT after a lecture. Very modest and down to earth guy and very intimidating guitar player when your sitting five feet in front of him!

Robben Ford and Larry Carlton- Bumped into them by chance at a music store
in LA. Robben ended up teaching at GIT for awhile and I got to jam with him a bunch.

Tommy Tedesco- The late great legendary LA session player. I got to go along on a motion picture recording session with him. It was fascinating to watch Tommy work with a full orchestra and play along with clips from the movie on a big screen. Tommy was hilarious. He used to joke that he could play a lick in every style of music. Just don't ask him to play two!

Scott Henderson- He was a fellow student at GIT. I remember him playing bebop riffs really loud through a cranked up amp and he was awesome. He used to bring his dog to school and the dog would sleep at his feet while he jammed onstage! It was hilarious. Even at that time I thought he was amazing and so I wasn't shocked at all that he became a world class player. A few years later he invited me backstage at a Chick Corea concert. Nice guy.

Robin Bullock- Just met him a few weeks ago. One of my favorite Celtic acoustic guitar players.

Almost met Pete Townshend and David Gilmour. I was playing a Top 40 gig at a fancy Hyatt Hotel and they were staying there. I think it was a solo tour by Pete or Dave. Supposedly they briefly stuck their head in the door, got swarmed by people and left. I ended up talking and drinking with their drummer for most of the night. I can't remember the drummers name but he's the bald guy who ended up playing in The Firm with Jimmy Page. Anyway, two nights later I met Billy Martin, former mgr of the NY Yankees! I was born in NY so that was kinda cool for me. Shortly after that the guitar player from the group Alabama joined us onstage. I'm not of fan of his and he was drunk but it was worth a few laughs at least!

And finally... He's not a guitar player and I'm not really a fan except for his early days but... I once met Michael Jackson at a Three Stooges Film Festival in Hollywood! It doesn't get much stranger than that! This was right before "Thriller" and so he was famous but not to the level he would be after that album. He was with his mom and a very young Janet Jackson. I remember he had a really nice Rolls Royce with a red interior and he parked right next to me. I spoke with him for a few minutes and he was very nice. He seemed fairly normal at the time!

I wish I had met Jimi Hendrix but that'll have to wait for another lifetime!

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.