My latest brush with fame
Sep 19th, 2007 by craig
Ok, so this week I was on the plane from LAX to Seattle and this person took the seat next to me. He looked very much like he does in this picture, wearing a nice looking hat and brown vest over a plaid shirt. His hair may have been a little longer, but his beard was about the same as in the picture. The stewardess asked him for his autograph, but other than that he spent most all our time on the plane reading 
his Newsweek. We did talk a little, I complemented his hat, he asked about what I do for a living and I told him some of what I did for fun. He got very animated when talking about his 22 month old child.
So, quiz time! There’s a prize in store for the first person to recognize and tell me who this was. Yes, I do know who it was, although I had to ask the stewardess, very inconspicuously.
Be warned! If you do know who this is, just from his picture, I reserve the right to mock your taste in music!
He looks a bit familiar, but I can’t place him. Want to give us any other hints? 🙂
You probably wouldn’t know him by his name alone, but you may know his performance “group” for lack of a better term.
I thought Michelle might know him – perhaps I should withdraw my threat to mock anyones taste in music if you know him by sight…. although that should tell you he’s from the world of country music. They’ve had two number one albums on the country charts in the last few years, and another hit number three. His partner was also on the plane, sitting across the aisle from us.
OK, I know who it is….. Shall I leave the mystery for others to discover or name him now?
Yes, I know who it is- I wasn’t positive of who it was just from his picture, but when you said his partner- I was able to place it (only from a CMT music video a few years back). And I think I know MAYBE 2 of their songs…
Yes, it’s “Big” Kenny Alphin, of Big and Rich fame. John Rich was across the aisle. They were on their way to play at the Puyallup Fair that night.
Ok, the rest of the story:
I knew as soon as he got on the plane that he was someone, I just couldn’t figure out who. I spent a lot of time trying to decide if I needed to know – finally deciding that if it was someone Tim* knew I would really need to know so I could tell him about. So then I spent a whole bunch of time trying to decide if I could just come out and ask him who he was, eventually deciding against it (Kris says correctly deciding against it). The stewardess had asked for his autograph so I came up with the great plan to step up front and ask her who it was. So I did. She told me his name, Kenny Alphin, but she obviously didn’t know who he was either, just told me he was a country music star. She had gotten the autograph at the request of the pilot, who had recognized him right off. When she said that John Rich was across the aisle, that and the country music comment allowed me to make the connection to Big and Rich. I still wasn’t sure about it, though, until I looked them up on line, and sure enough, that’s him.
He got real excited when I told him I played bass in a band. He said that he thought everyone should have the opportunity to play music; that it brings so much joy to people. He was real proud of the fact that they’ve placed “thousands” of guitars in the hands of young people. He was plenty happy about his 22 month old and his ability to play simple rhythms on a drum set.
Finally, yes it is true that when I got up (to go ask that stewardess) I knocked over his wine and spilled it all over his seat. He said he was fast enough that it didn’t get on his levi’s, but I felt like a real dork just the same.
*Tim Gifford, our lead singer in FRB.
It’s my dad in 15 years. Did i Win!!!
Holy smokes, Jamie… are you trying to make me feel good? He’s actually 7 years YOUNGER than I am!
Sadly, I did not know who this was.
Me neither. 🙂 I had no clue.