Hank Aaron, Lew Burdette, Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Joe Adcock. Spent some time in the clubhouse prior to a game in St. Louis. Ballplayers were nice back then. Used to run into Shaq regularly at the Brewbacher's on Nicholson. Still the largest human I've ever seen in person. Was really friendly. Talked to Billy Carter in the Atlanta airport once. We were both drinking. He was fun. John Mackovic. He was coach at UT then. I guess he's a has-been celeb now. He was strange. Keith Urban is a nice guy. Aaron Neville is a nice guy. Cousin worked for the Oak Ridge Boys so I was around them some. Never actually talked with them, just observed them backstage. Yep, William Lee Golden is "different." Ran into Freddy Fender (literally) in a downtown Austin Hotel a few years back. Next morning took a flight to Phoenix. Got off the plane and went directly to the men's room. Yep, there's Freddy Fender. Never seen or spoken to the guy before and saw him twice in 24 hours. He was friendly. Drank a beer with John Anderson once at the Texas Club. His career was just taking off and he was a cool, unpretentious dude. Waited for my wife's luggage at the Austin airport with Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel). He was cordial. Country singer Joe Stampley is a nice guy. So is Travis Tritt. Met Robert Parrish once at a concert in Shreveport. He was cool. Met Major Applewhite and his folks when he was starting QB at UT. Damn nice people. One I never got the opportunity to meet, Dale Brown. Always wished I could get a case of beer and a shade tree and spend an afternoon with him. Love him or hate him, he wasn't boring.
Forgot some more....."Big Daddy Don" G., Shirley Muldowny (sp), Jake "the Snake" Prudomne (sp), Andre' "The Giant", Dusty Rhodes, Ted DeBiase, saw Sugar Ray Leonard in BR at a televised boxing match that was so poorly attended that they moved everyone up to ringside so it would look like it was well attended. Kamala. Junkyard Dog. When Andre' shook my hand, it looked like my whole hand disappeared.....and I have a very large hand. He could hold a beer can (and often did) and you could not see the can. Billy "Dawg" Brewer....former player and coach at OM.
