Define "cool" and "met" however you want.

I met Kevin Costner at the airport in Vegas in the late 90s. He was looking for a gate, and I pointed it out to him. He thanked me. It was a short but meaningful friendship.

Henry Winkler. Sat next to him at a diner in Roswell, New Mexico. Nice guy.

Probably Lenny Kravitz.

Honorable mentions:

Eddie Van Halen
Chris Cornell
Steven Tyler
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin

Michael Schumacher

Jon Gries. Uncle Rico and a bunch of other characters.

Very close second is John Schneider.

Rod Stewart

Nervy
Swimmer
Bdp
Charpie
Pam Poovey
Reb

This dude at drunk camp called Dirty Mike. We also had Firefighter Mike, Big Mike, Sailor Mike, and Just Mike. Dirty Mike later changed his name to Malibu Mike.

Elvis
Willie Nelson
Kris Kristofferson
Clint Eastwood
Mario Van Peebles
Joe Ely
Earl Campbell
John David Crow
John Glenn
Ed White (died on the launch pad in Apollo mission)
Merle Haggard (awesome funny story about a karaoke bar experience with Merle in Austin)
SgtMaj Jimmy Howard USMC, Congressional Medal of Honor

Others I can't think of right now

elvis is pretty freaking cool, that's hard to top

gggmann said:

---

Michael Schumacher

---

That's awesome.

Some of you have a seven-way tie for first or you misunderstood the idea of the thread.

Eric Johnson for me. I've met a number of musicians over the years and they were all very gracious, but EJ is on another level. He is as nice as he is a great musician. Had the good fortune to visit with him a couple of times.

Uncle Everett was the coolest
Never had a word to say
When he died was the only time
I ever seen papa cry

Merle Haggard- was having lunch at a Cracker Barrel in TN in the mid 90's and he was at the next table.

Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

No explanation needed on their coolness factor.

Got to have dinner with Joe Montana in a group of 8 for a company function. He was awesome and very friendly. Ended up staying out with us when dinner shut down and we hit the bar

Robert Ballard - He discovered the Titanic, met him at a convention
Wes Scantlin - Hung out with him at a party. He's good friends with one of my best friend's older brother.

your mom because she let me PIIHB

George Gervin

Nolan Ryan stole a fry off my plate back in the late 90s......we met my grandparents at his restaurant in Three Rivers to have lunch and he randomly was there hanging out.

ought1ag said:

---

Nolan Ryan stole a fry off my plate back in the late 90s......we met my grandparents at his restaurant in Three Rivers to have lunch and he randomly was there hanging out.

---

Did you put him in a headlock and give him a bloody nose for doing that and then tell him you learned that move from him?

We were at the beach on 30A a couple of years ago and this old dude with white hair walks out into the water right in front of us. Looked pretty wobbly and unstable. A little wave washes up and knocks him over. I get up and help him and gather his flip flops that were floating away. He thanks me and walks over to his group.

It wasn't until that point that I realize everyone he's hanging out with is 30+ years younger than him and rather fit/attractive. Seemed odd for this slightly decrepit old guy.

Turned out to be Ric Flair. Seeing as how I haven't met a lot of other famous/cool people, I guess that's my top…

Dated Kristen Stewart for two months

Denver airport bar. Old guy with long hair sitting there. I get carded on my birthday, the bartender wishes me happy birthday. Old guy guy at bar wishes me happy birthday, buys me a beer and shoots the **** for minute then leaves. Bar tender tells me it was gregg allman.

Pittsburgh airport like 3 years ago cal ripken jr set across from me and my wife at the gate. He worked very hard not to make eye contact with me because I was freaking the eff out.

Op's mom. She was pretty cool about giving BJ's.

Mankind. As a 12 year old at the time there was nothing cooler

MGS said:

---

George Gervin

---

Not many people will get this response. Well done.

Billy Bob Thornton...drank multiple tequila shots with him at the Iron Cactus in Austin during SXSW.

The Rev. Billy Gibbons.

He sat next to me at the bar at a place on I-10 in W Houston called the Mason Jar. This was a long ass time ago. Very nice dude.

My dad.

Drank a beer with GWB.

I had dinner with Billy Gibbons about a decade ago. We were at separate tables, received separate bills, and didn't say anything to one another. Our meals came out at basically the same time and I was as close as anyone else at his table so I consider it basically the same thing.

Upgraded to First Class on a flight from West Palm Beach to DFW many years ago. Sat next to Loretta Swit, who played Hot Lips on MASH. She was very nice, and very down to earth.

Also sat next to Jerry Maren (the Lollypop kid who gave the lollypop to Dorothy) at a Chili's in Nashville. That was a very interesting experience.

I met her at the International Gem and Jewelry show at the AstroHall years ago! She was nice!

I had to ID my buddy's body at the morgue.