The Smiley Smile Message Board

When I went to the Beach Boys 50th reunion concert, I noticed Bruce jumped off the stage before the concert started and went to concession stand and hardly anyone bothered him. And this was at a Beach Boys concert!! So my question is, who is the most likely to be approached by a fan in a Walmart in 2017? And I don't care if they shop at Walmart this is just a hypothetical. My guess:

1. Mike (spokesman and front man probably gets the most recognition, though not uncomfortably mobbed)
2. Brian (probably recognized and approached by a few people everywhere he goes)
3. Al
4. Bruce
5. Dave (last 3 are probably approached every once in awhile but usually un unnoticed?)

They might recognize Brian, Mike, or Al. If Bruce went to Wal-Mart, they'd probably hand him an apron and have him give out food samples or make him a door greeter.

 :lol

I saw David Marks at the post office a few months ago, and after he finished his transaction, I briefly said hello to him. I don't think he was expecting that anyone would recognize him.

In 2001, I ran into Mike Love at a restraunt several hours before a casino show.  We were about the only people there.  I politely asked him for an autograph, which he gladly obliged.  He seemed genuinely surprised that I recognized him.  He was very gracious and we ended up having lunch together.

Did the luhvster pick up the tab?  ???

I have always suspected this, but it seems the Beach Boys are the most popular people that aren't recognized in public.

I think it must be nice to get around inconspicuously. Back in 1995, I went to the King County Fair to see Paul Revere and the Raiders, and several hours before the show, while we were munching on our corn dogs and curly fries, my brother and I saw Paul Revere walk over to one of the barns. Thought about going over to say something, but instead just waved, he waved back. He was just enjoying the fair like the rest of us. After the show, Paul and the band signed autographs and all that.

I think the best are the stars who get a kick when not recognised. My mother was trying to decipher a pay and display machine in a parking building when a nice young man talked her through it. She returns with the ticket to her waiting sister who said 'you realise that was Bruce Willis'. He just wandered off chuckling to himself and shaking his head apparently.

That's such a great story!  :lol

I think the survivors from Pink Floyd are in the same boat.  Though, Floyd did it intentionally by keeping themselves off their album covers, and except for their early years, avoiding TV appearances and promo videos.  Oddly enough, their self imposed anonymity probably hurt Roger Waters's case when he tried to stop Gilmour, Mason, and Wright from using the name Pink Floyd 30 years ago (a scenario somewhat reminiscent of the Beach Boys in 1998).

That's interesting. And Pink Floyd may be more popular in terms of albums. But its true, a group of middle aged men that can play and sing Beach Boys songs, casual fans would probably be think its really them!

I don't think any of these guys are super recognizable to the masses.

Al Jardine can go unrecognized at *Al Jardine* concerts! That happened when I saw him in 2005 at a local charity gig. He was eating a chocolate ice cream cone on a bench and everybody just walked past him. Even *I* almost walked past him and did a double take and then realized it was him. This was my infamous encounter where Al couldn't shake hands because he had melted ice cream cone all over it.

In the right context (if, say, the members walked through a Beatlefest convention floor or vintage record convention or something) any or all of the guys might be recognized. But just out in public, not so much.

The trick is to not do the Michael Jackson thing and have an entourage with 87 people tagging along, with bodyguards shoving people around and whatnot. Even McCartney was recently just randomly spotted on the London subway. By himself. It's not that he wouldn't be recognized (he's obviously on a whole other level compared to any of the BBs), but he doesn't get harangued and can *sometimes* go unnoticed because it's just him.

What surprises me is when band members of bands, sometimes relatively famous, will just be wandering around at their own actual gig. I get it when I'm running into Mitch Weissman in the bathroom at Beatlefest, but when like Bruce Johnston is just at the merchandise stand or at the food stand buying a coke, that's kind of surprising.

Yeah, Floyd was much more of an "album" band than the Boys.  In fact, Floyd didn't willfully release any singles after 1968 until they released Another Brick in the Wall Part II as a single in 1980. 

But, I'd be willing to bet two of the great songwriters of all time - Brian Wilson and Roger Waters - could probably go have lunch together and, for the most part, not be bothered.

https://youtu.be/O4zT7VhpDcQ

I agree, those off-guard moments can be beyond cool. I'm thinking of even the story in Brian's book when he was randomly walking on a path in Maui ( ! ) and Magic Johnson was walking the same path toward him. Magic said "Hi Brian" and Brian said "Hey Magic!" and they kept walking. That's pretty damn cool, lol.

Not an earth-shattering example but it was cool for me...driving to attend a Brian show last fall, I turned right up a side street at the venue to find off-street parking where I had parked at the same venue the previous year for a show. I'm driving up the hill, and a guy was crossing the narrow street where I had to slow down until he crossed. I did a double-take, wound down my window, and yelled out "Blondie Chaplin!!!". He paused and smiled, said something like "Hey man! How are you?" and I said "Doing great! How are you!" and he replied "Amazing!" or something like that...I don't remember exactly because it caught me by surprise. I waved and kept driving, and Blondie kept walking.

Just one of those neat experiences fans appreciate because it's so random. Like, you don't expect to randomly have to slow your car down to let Blondie Chaplin cross the street on a back road.

Funny how a coincidence like this one can alter your life; it certainly changed mine...
I was leaving The Beach Boys concert at The Fillmore East in October, 1968, when I saw Dennis Wilson shuffling across the street in front of my car, a girl under his arm and a can of beer in his hand.  I quickly shouted out, "Hey Dennis!  Great concert!", and he dashed over to me and said, "Quick, can you give me a ride to my hotel???"
Turned out they had hired extra security to keep him from leaving between shows, and he gave his girl his overcoat and told her to dash to the front of the stage at the encore.  He then jumped into the audience and exited with the crowd!  So began a whirlwind friendship that last until that fateful night in December, 1983...

You're a lucky man Ed. I'll bet he was a unique friend in many ways.

Still feel him by my side...

Context, Location, Circumstance, all play a roll. In a Wal-Mart? Most people there at any given time, might not know much about the band, and even a fan might not be expecting to see one of them there.

These guys have less of a 'Rock Star' look, then say a Steven Tyler type, which might cause most people to take a second glance, regardless of recognition. That said, Brian and Mike each have a certain look. But one might just as easily mistake them for some old dudes who are at Wal Mart shopping for Depends.

Probably my favourite passage in the whole book. Brian goes on to justify not stopping, by saying that he knew he'd see him again sometime, or something similar. What a great insight into how his mind works!

I'm surprised Magic Johnson recognized Brian! The biggest star I ever saw in person out of context was at work. I was delivering pool supplies at an athletic center in Dallas. I walked right by Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys! I also cleaned Brad Sham's swimming pool, who does play by play for the Cowboys. I called him once concerning something with his pool and heard that familiar voice! Unfortunately, the connection was bad and he couldn't hear mine. So we had to text.

I also have a story about a famous Dallas Cowboy! I was walking back to the car with my dad after attending a football camp and a car drives by. Someone leans out of the passenger window, yells something ,and throws a water balloon us. I was just like "WTF?" and my dad goes "Holy hell, that was Tony Dorsett!" I think either one of his kids was attending the camp or he was there to help out or something.

The year was 1956 and my dad and I were standing in line to see the Detroit Tigers play a night game at the old Briggs Stadium. My dad told me to look to my left and there was Jerry Lewis standing a few feet from us. Even though he was with people, he was gracious enough to wave and say hi to us.

Not quite a legendary Cowboy, but I met Greg Schaum at a church carnival years back.  He let me hold his Super Bowl ring. 

I love all of these stories, Beach Boys, and others. 

My wife and I ran into various members of Aerosmith in April 1997 at Disneyworld.  We saw Joe Perry and his wife eating dinner at Cinderella Castle, Brad Whitford walking around, and Steven Tyler at the Japan Exhibit in Epcot. 

Steven had one of the Disney hospitality people walking with him.  My wife slowly walked over to him, said hello, and clicked a close-up picture of him.  Thankfully, he wasn't upset.  When the picture came out he looked like a deer in headlights, and the Disney person behind him looked shocked.  I wish I could find that picture!

For those curious about Jeff Beck in the aftermath of the 2013 Brian/Jeff Beck tour, I have an amusing but less fluffy story.

One of my old friends was/is a huge Jeff Beck fan. He (coincidentally, I guess?) was also into old hot rods and '32 coupes and all of that like Jeff Beck is. He was attending a car show in the SF Bay Area in, I'm guessing either the 70s or early-mid 80s, and noticed Jeff Beck was there milling around like everyone else at the show. Clearly, nobody was noticing Beck. He already had his camera with him for the show, so he started snapping photos of Beck from a good distance. I'm not sure if Beck started moving closer (still not knowing about the camera) or my friend started moving a bit closer, but at some point Beck finally noticed the camera and gave him the most intense, hilarious death stare of all time. I think after a few more, once he saw how pissed Beck was getting, he stopped. So he avoided Beck coming over and smashing his camera, etc. (I'm not sure if Beck would have actually done that of course). But the pictures are legendary and hilarious.

I have a more kind of sad, poignant (but still quite interesting) story about someone in my family running into Steve Marriott (Small Faces, Humble Pie), but I'll save that for another time.