Brushes with Fame

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neverfoundthetime
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Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:53 am

It was a surreal moment for sure Tom, the actual St. John! Been a Liverpool supporter all my life too. In 66, Roger Hunt was chosen to play instead of Greaves as Roger did more work off the ball and for the team (he was Liverpool's leading scorer at the time). Greaves was more of a goal poacher in the box. Good decision to have Hunt and Hurst in!


pbraun
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Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:00 pm

Well I've been pretty quite lately, just real busy, but still check in. Mine was not so much a brush wih fame, but got close in a way. Years ago I was looking for a job after the company I was with closed, and I was looking the old fashion way..in a newspaper. Anyway I came across an ad for the Director of Merchandising at Graceland. So I just had to send my resume. About a week later I got a call and we set up a phone interview with a couple of execs. I had never done a phone interview before that so I wasn't really sure how it went. A little later I got another call and they wanted me to come to Memphis.

They sent the tickets and off I went, was met at the airport by a young lady holding a sign with my name on it (thought that was pretty cool). We left the airport to go to the Graceland corp.office which is a converted church that sits on the grounds. We went in and waited for Jack Sodon who is the CEO, he came out and apoligized that he was called to a city meeting to spruce up EP Blvd and said I could tour Graceland. Well it ended up being a one on one tour through the entire place, places that tourest couldn't go and alot more insight into things. Then we had lunch and a little more tour.

We finally got down to the interview. I walked into his office to find his desk is shapeded into a six foot guitar! While we were in the interview the phone rang. He excused himself to take the call. It was Pricilla calling him back and he gave her the news that the post office was issuing the Elvis stamp.

The interview seemed to go well. I went back one more time. Again, I had to wait a little while and this time they put me into a video room where I got to watch some unreleased home movies of Elvis.

As it turned out I didn't get the job, they went with a local guy, but I hold the experience as one of the coolest things I have ever been though. I was never a really big Elvis fan but that didn't matter when I standing in the middle his living room!
Pete


Chasplaya
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:07 pm

Since taking over my store I've 'met' a few NZ notables, former Prime Ministers x 2; but one famous person that now comes in regularly is, Tim Finn of Split Enz fame and his brother Neil Finn, better known for Crowded House. Tim is a regular and has become quite chatty, I even ask him advice on how to play some songs.

Initially Tim was quite gruff and didn't look at me let alone speak until one day I asked him how to play the guitar version intro to 'Won't Give In' and he said he didn't know that was Neil, and so ended that conversation... A week or so later he was back and after he made his purchase, he said 'By the way Neil is coming over today I'll get him to come down and show you the intro', which he did ! Ever since then we chat regularly about music and wine. Turns out he's not gruff just a wee bit shy initially. Oh he likes Central Otago Pinot Noir from Sam Neils Vineyard, Sam has also been into the shop a couple of times.


tombo1230
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:21 pm

neverfoundthetime wrote:
It was a surreal moment for sure Tom, the actual St. John! Been a Liverpool supporter all my life too. In 66, Roger Hunt was chosen to play instead of Greaves as Roger did more work off the ball and for the team (he was Liverpool's leading scorer at the time). Greaves was more of a goal poacher in the box. Good decision to have Hunt and Hurst in!

That's for sure. :)


Tom N.


tombo1230
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:23 pm

pbraun wrote:
Well I've been pretty quite lately, just real busy, but still check in. Mine was not so much a brush wih fame, but got close in a way. Years ago I was looking for a job after the company I was with closed, and I was looking the old fashion way..in a newspaper. Anyway I came across an ad for the Director of Merchandising at Graceland. So I just had to send my resume. About a week later I got a call and we set up a phone interview with a couple of execs. I had never done a phone interview before that so I wasn't really sure how it went. A little later I got another call and they wanted me to come to Memphis.

They sent the tickets and off I went, was met at the airport by a young lady holding a sign with my name on it (thought that was pretty cool). We left the airport to go to the Graceland corp.office which is a converted church that sits on the grounds. We went in and waited for Jack Sodon who is the CEO, he came out and apoligized that he was called to a city meeting to spruce up EP Blvd and said I could tour Graceland. Well it ended up being a one on one tour through the entire place, places that tourest couldn't go and alot more insight into things. Then we had lunch and a little more tour.

We finally got down to the interview. I walked into his office to find his desk is shapeded into a six foot guitar! While we were in the interview the phone rang. He excused himself to take the call. It was Pricilla calling him back and he gave her the news that the post office was issuing the Elvis stamp.

The interview seemed to go well. I went back one more time. Again, I had to wait a little while and this time they put me into a video room where I got to watch some unreleased home movies of Elvis.

As it turned out I didn't get the job, they went with a local guy, but I hold the experience as one of the coolest things I have ever been though. I was never a really big Elvis fan but that didn't matter when I standing in the middle his living room!
Pete
What a really cool story Pete! :) and a once in a lifetime experience.


Tom N.


tombo1230
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Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:35 pm

Music and wine chas, seems to be mutually compatible to my mind :)


Tom N.


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neverfoundthetime
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Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:04 pm

Pete, that's a world beater, for sure!


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