Ultimate Rhoads

Celebrity friends

I have wondered for a while if anyone here has a celebrity friend? I am out of touch with mine now but a few years ago before he was a celeb’ I was friends with Gok Wan the British TV fashion Guru.

I knew him because we both drove air-cooled VW’s and because my Black Beetle is one the oldest in Britain we migrated towards one another living in such a small city, he also delivered Chinese food to us from his parents restaurant. I have been asked by people who know that I knew him what he was like and I have to say that he was striking and (although he never talked about it) seemed very unhappy. I remember that he was always so chatty and due to fact he was over six feet tall extremely overweight he made a huge impression on you perhaps because it was so hard to miss him.
As you will see in the link I added he is very camp and at the time was not openly gay, I never talked about sexuality with him but it was so obvious he was gay and because that doesn’t bother me I never mentioned it.

He has been a Celeb’ here for a few years now and it wasn’t until a few months ago that I realized it was him I had seen him as I flicked through the TV channels. Had it not been for the fact I saw him on the local TV news talking about growing up in my city and his weight problems I don’t think I would know he had achieved great things for himself. I had often wondered what had become of this really nice bloke and his beloved early 70’s model VW bug.



Does anyone else have an old friend who went on to be a celeb'?

Well i have to say that i cannot stand Gok Wan he just doesn't do it for me. I know he is a big hit with the ladies, but what is it about gay men and women. They always manage to get a hand full of tit and the women love it. If i went up to someone in the street and commented on some womens curves i.e breasts i'd be labelled as a sex pest. Gok is straight in there with both hands gropping every big girls 'bangers' as he calls them. Ian was he a friend or just the Chinese take away delivery boy ?. Did you ever go out for a drink with him or go to any gigs etc ?. I cannot picture you in a gay bar

Hi Shaun

I have never watched him on TV but I have been told he is very 'Hands on'
I used to meet him at VW shows and when we were around town, The VW community is very friendly and when 2 or more meet up long conversations and friendships are sparked.
Gok just didn't show up anywhere and I wasn't aware of what happened to him until last December and until I looked him up on line I didn't recognise the new Gok.
I know he isn't everyones favorite but I can say that back then he was a pleasent and kind hearted bloke, I wish him the best of luck but I won't be watching him because I don't watch much TV.

Ian

Well not a friend with a celebrity... but I found out that my granddad's brother's son works with Rick Wakeman on many of his albums.

Simon

Cool info Simon and Ian. I have no famous 'friends' in the real sense of the word friend, only acquaintances.

Our late friend/manager (Dave) son is in a relationship with Juliet Landau. They needed somewhere to crash a year or so back so stayed with us. Juliet is famous for being Drusilla in Buffy and was Loretta King in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.

Sadly the the last time we spoke was at the wake in November.

Matt

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Does anyone know who Buddy Hackett is? If not, he was a comedian/actor back in the sixties and seventies to the best of my knowledge. Anyway, my great grandmother's name is Elizabeth Hackett, or was before she got married. Though its distant, my mom always told me I was like the seventh or eight cousin to Buddy Hackett. Too bad I never got to meet him.

rrhoadsfan86 wrote:Does anyone know who Buddy Hackett is? If not, he was a comedian/actor back in the sixties and seventies to the best of my knowledge. Anyway, my great grandmother's name is Elizabeth Hackett, or was before she got married. Though its distant, my mom always told me I was like the seventh or eight cousin to Buddy Hackett. Too bad I never got to meet him.

I TOTALLY KNOW WHO BUDDY HACKETT IS!!! I loved watching him on various TV shows in the 70's when I was a little boy. I used to have an album of his way back in the 70's. It was actually my Dad's, and i would sneak it onto my record player and laugh like crazy!!! I love Buddy Hackett, along with Don Rickles, the older comics are the BEST!!!

wareagle wrote:i know some people, maybe not friends but know some, like had dinner with, met, and done videos with, played golf with... phil mickleson (golfer), bon jovi(through my golf teacher theres a cool story behind this one), billy squire, dee snyder, i know a lot more but i cant think of them right now

most i know through either golf, family, or my friends.

"Lefty" Is Awesome. Whats up with Tiger, sucking eggs lately.

I met Dick Van Dyke when I was a little kid. I barely remember it at all. It didn't even register then, but it registers now!

NicDots wrote:I met Dick Van Dyke when I was a little kid. I barely remember it at all. It didn't even register then, but it registers now!

You met the inventor of the TOOT sweets.. WOW!! Great visuals from being a kid watching 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' & Mary Poppins..'Dick Van' - the man wasn't in Bed Knobs and Broomsticks was he...?

I don't know if you want to classify professional musicians as [/i]celebtrities ? .. anyhow i have many that i have built guitars for and done service work and became friends with . ..

They included : Glenn Hughes ,

Tommy Emmanuel

Colin Hay

Josh Homme

Jim Root

Keith Urban

and more .

I drank with Curt Cobain once or twice and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, the guys in Soundgarden and Alice in Chains... not really 'friends' but fellow tavern dwellers in the early days of Seattle grunge.

Paul Wolfe wrote:I drank with Curt Cobain once or twice and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, the guys in Soundgarden and Alice in Chains... not really 'friends' but fellow tavern dwellers in the early days of Seattle grunge.

WOW!