All hail Jeff Foskett

[Aum Bop Diddit]

I saw this comment over on a Rolling Stones board I post at and thought it was very cool and worth passing on.  They were discussing a recent Brian gig.



    Quote:

    "The crowd at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center does tend to be sort of sedate.

    Was Brian signing stuff in the lobby afterwards, or did you go backstage?"

"Yeah this is my third time at Cerritos now...first concert there...it's a very hoity-toity kind of place so it wasn't really a place for a rock and roll show, I         think. Beautiful place but I've always found the auditorium to be a very weird room. Something about the square room and the placement of the stage...it doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

Actually, with the signed albums....I got there several hours before the show, hung around the back. Brian arrived with Jeff Foskett, got out of their car and said "no" to me and a small group of 3 or 4 guys. I was stunned. I've never seen Jeff act that way. He said loudly "We don't sign for Ebay" They went inside. The other guys...who I found out were sellers eventually left. I had nowhere to go since I was going to the show later that night...I decided to just stay out there and wait...maybe Brian would come back.

About half an hour later Jeff comes out again on the phone, he turns around to head back to the venue...I scream out if he would sign my SMiLE album. Jeff performs on that album, as you know. He looks over and begins to walk over and says sure. As he approaches me he looks around and says "sorry about earlier..I had to get rid of those ebay guys." We chit chatted about tonight's show...He then grabs my album says "gimme that" and walks back into the venue. Comes back a few minutes later and there it was a PERSONALIZED signature from Brian! I was too bashful to give him both my albums the first time...thinking it'd be too greedy....when he came back out he saw I had another one in my hand and although I wasn't even going to ask him to get that signed also but he just grabbed it...came back AGAIN....and got Sunflower signed. It was amazing."


I'm not surprised -- Jeff as well as the rest of the band seem like the best of blokes.....

[Ron]

You've got to remember where Jeff came from; Brian's Driveway.  He knows what it's like to be a Fanatic.  I mean Fan. 

[Chris Brown]

Very cool story, although I'm wondering how one can tell the difference between an e-Bay troll and a real fan?

[SMiLE Brian]

Darn sellers have to make getting autographs for the real fans so much harder sometimes. Jeff probably knows the real fans when he sees deep albums like sunflower.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Very cool story, although I'm wondering how one can tell the difference between an e-Bay troll and a real fan?

He wears special sunglasses.



"I have come here to sign autographs and kick ass....and I'm all out of sharpies."

[Jason]

Brian doing Duke Nukem-ism would be even funnier.

"It's time to kick ass and smile, and I'm all out of grins!"

[ghost]

jeff tests your patience by making you wait all night, then rewards you with a scribble of his name. great. make him ruler of the universe please. such a sadist deserves adoration. how about he just went up to the original poster and the ebay guys and asked questions to determine who was legit and who wasn't? instead the power hungry nurse ratchet made you wait all night. yeah, hail jeff alright.

[ghost]

i offer an experiment: a fan awaits brian's autograph through jeff with a Love You vinyl in hand

when jheff sees it, what does he do? will he take it backstage? or say we don't allow this music mr mcmurphy.

[Pretty Funky]

I was at the Sheraton Hotel next to the same venue 3-4 years ago for a night and a lot of coloured folk (pardon my ignorance if its not PC) staying at the time which is very un-Cerritos. The idiot in me wanted to ask if they were in a band but common sense won out unfortunatly. The next day I heard Smokey Robinson had played and stayed that night.

Now thats a signature for my GH's album I would have waited for. Dohhh!

[Ron]

Yeah, I'd love to shake Smokey's hand.  He's so fantastic, after you idolize him for all the great, timeless songs he wrote, you can start analyzing stuff like "Going to a Go-Go" and realize that they were just as great, lol.  A real legend, effortless talent. 

[Rocker]

I saw this comment over on a Rolling Stones board I post at and thought it was very cool and worth passing on.  They were discussing a recent Brian gig.



    Quote:

    "The crowd at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center does tend to be sort of sedate.

    Was Brian signing stuff in the lobby afterwards, or did you go backstage?"

"Yeah this is my third time at Cerritos now...first concert there...it's a very hoity-toity kind of place so it wasn't really a place for a rock and roll show, I         think. Beautiful place but I've always found the auditorium to be a very weird room. Something about the square room and the placement of the stage...it doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

Actually, with the signed albums....I got there several hours before the show, hung around the back. Brian arrived with Jeff Foskett, got out of their car and said "no" to me and a small group of 3 or 4 guys. I was stunned. I've never seen Jeff act that way. He said loudly "We don't sign for Ebay" They went inside. The other guys...who I found out were sellers eventually left. I had nowhere to go since I was going to the show later that night...I decided to just stay out there and wait...maybe Brian would come back.

About half an hour later Jeff comes out again on the phone, he turns around to head back to the venue...I scream out if he would sign my SMiLE album. Jeff performs on that album, as you know. He looks over and begins to walk over and says sure. As he approaches me he looks around and says "sorry about earlier..I had to get rid of those ebay guys." We chit chatted about tonight's show...He then grabs my album says "gimme that" and walks back into the venue. Comes back a few minutes later and there it was a PERSONALIZED signature from Brian! I was too bashful to give him both my albums the first time...thinking it'd be too greedy....when he came back out he saw I had another one in my hand and although I wasn't even going to ask him to get that signed also but he just grabbed it...came back AGAIN....and got Sunflower signed. It was amazing."


I'm not surprised -- Jeff as well as the rest of the band seem like the best of blokes.....

That guy posts on the For Elvis CD Collectors-Forum scanned and posted both album covers. Very nice of Foskett indeed

[Amy B.]

I saw this comment over on a Rolling Stones board I post at and thought it was very cool and worth passing on.  They were discussing a recent Brian gig.



    Quote:

    "The crowd at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center does tend to be sort of sedate.

    Was Brian signing stuff in the lobby afterwards, or did you go backstage?"

"Yeah this is my third time at Cerritos now...first concert there...it's a very hoity-toity kind of place so it wasn't really a place for a rock and roll show, I         think. Beautiful place but I've always found the auditorium to be a very weird room. Something about the square room and the placement of the stage...it doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

Actually, with the signed albums....I got there several hours before the show, hung around the back. Brian arrived with Jeff Foskett, got out of their car and said "no" to me and a small group of 3 or 4 guys. I was stunned. I've never seen Jeff act that way. He said loudly "We don't sign for Ebay" They went inside. The other guys...who I found out were sellers eventually left. I had nowhere to go since I was going to the show later that night...I decided to just stay out there and wait...maybe Brian would come back.

About half an hour later Jeff comes out again on the phone, he turns around to head back to the venue...I scream out if he would sign my SMiLE album. Jeff performs on that album, as you know. He looks over and begins to walk over and says sure. As he approaches me he looks around and says "sorry about earlier..I had to get rid of those ebay guys." We chit chatted about tonight's show...He then grabs my album says "gimme that" and walks back into the venue. Comes back a few minutes later and there it was a PERSONALIZED signature from Brian! I was too bashful to give him both my albums the first time...thinking it'd be too greedy....when he came back out he saw I had another one in my hand and although I wasn't even going to ask him to get that signed also but he just grabbed it...came back AGAIN....and got Sunflower signed. It was amazing."

I'm not surprised -- Jeff as well as the rest of the band seem like the best of blokes.....

I gather from previous posts on this board that some people don't like Jeff.  I have no personal experience with him or any member of the band, but my theory is that Jeff sometimes acts as the "heavy" for Brian if Brian doesn't want to sign autographs that night. He says "no" to anyone who is there when Brian is with him, gets Brian inside, then comes back out and gathers up albums for Brian to sign without having to interact with the fans. Possible?

[Cliff1000uk]

I've never seen him do that but I have only spoken to Jeff a couple of times after shows and he always been polite and chatted to me (as do the rest of the band, to be fair), even when looking exhausted, like after the first Smile show at the RFH

He certainly always has one eye on Brian, which if you'd seen the actions of some fans, you'd understand why.

Anyways, top bloke who just looks out for his boss!

[ghost]

Looks out, for what - a cut in the man's will?

[Amy B.]

"I look at myself as a servant [to Brian], and happy to be that way." --Jeff Foskett, NPR interview

[18thofMay]

I still to this day do not understand the "thing" about getting autographs. I have never even asked for one and the respective "stars" seem to respect that. I prefer to have a chat and a beer etc, you can't go down the local supermarket and by a bag of those memories.

[ghost]

I still to this day do not understand the "thing" about getting autographs. I have never even asked for one and the respective "stars" seem to respect that. I prefer to have a chat and a beer etc, you can't go down the local supermarket and by a bag of those memories.

eyem the same way but i still don't think jeff foskett should be on such a power trip all the time to anyone including the autistic fans that collect autographs and things.

"I look at myself as a servant [to Brian], and happy to be that way." --Jeff Foskett, NPR interview

exactly what you would expect someone to say who is trying to get in the master's good graces for doggie treat. 

[ghost]

by the way i get such a creepy feeling rightly or wrongly due to all the stories about this man that i actually feel a need to edit my posts in case he sets the Foskett mafia on me. one of his church groups, pickaxes, you know the deal. all my work is fiction. i am an iguana & a slice of whole grain bread. Whose the man that we admire? johnny carson is a real live wire.

[18thofMay]

Having met the guy and the rest of the band, I can say 100% that Probyn is the man!!

[Cliff1000uk]

Having met the guy and the rest of the band, I can say 100% that Probyn is the man!!

Totally agree-one of the most down to earth guys you could meet

[onkster]

Sorry, ghost, I gotta disagree with you this time. Not only do artists not owe autographs to fans or ebayers or anybody ("but...I bought ALL their records!"), but they certainly have the right not to kowtow to every single person outside their circle. If they did, they'd be eaten alive. It's about keeping one's wits while traveling town to town every day for months on end.

Autographs = bonus points, in my book.

And just because somebody doesn't give you what you think you should get for free doesn't make them a Nazi/Nurse Ratched/whatever. Sorry.

[SloopJohnB]

Having met the guy and the rest of the band, I can say 100% that Probyn is the man!!

Totally agree-one of the most down to earth guys you could meet

Thirded - Probyn struck me as a friendly and coolheaded person. I talked with most BW band members and it was with him that I had the most pleasant conversation.

[ghost]

Sorry, ghost, I gotta disagree with you this time. Not only do artists not owe autographs to fans or ebayers or anybody ("but...I bought ALL their records!"), but they certainly have the right not to kowtow to every single person outside their circle. If they did, they'd be eaten alive. It's about keeping one's wits while traveling town to town every day for months on end.

Autographs = bonus points, in my book.

And just because somebody doesn't give you what you think you should get for free doesn't make them a Nazi/Nurse Ratched/whatever. Sorry.

Whatever ways you can rationalize the mean spirit behind letting someone wait all night just for their favorite musician or whoever to sign their favorite album or whatever. The guy said there was himself and a few other guys. Hardly a screaming horde of girls begging for Jeff now is it? Couple people, hey guys what's up, oh you're fans huh, alright then what Beach Boys song did I cover from the Today! album? oh you guys don't know it eh? GET OUTTA HERE EBAY SCUM. so dude, you're the real fan huh? well son let me tell you about how i was once an obsessive like yourself and i actually stalked brian to his home and just showed up. now look at me! me and the big guy are pals. no no they can't take that away from me.

[SMiLE Brian]

Sorry, ghost, I gotta disagree with you this time. Not only do artists not owe autographs to fans or ebayers or anybody ("but...I bought ALL their records!"), but they certainly have the right not to kowtow to every single person outside their circle. If they did, they'd be eaten alive. It's about keeping one's wits while traveling town to town every day for months on end.

Autographs = bonus points, in my book.

And just because somebody doesn't give you what you think you should get for free doesn't make them a Nazi/Nurse Ratched/whatever. Sorry.

Whatever ways you can rationalize the mean spirit behind letting someone wait all night just for their favorite musician or whoever to sign their favorite album or whatever. The guy said there was himself and a few other guys. Hardly a screaming horde of girls begging for Jeff now is it? Couple people, hey guys what's up, oh you're fans huh, alright then what Beach Boys song did I cover from the Today! album? oh you guys don't know it eh? GET OUTTA HERE EBAY SCUM. so dude, you're the real fan huh? well son let me tell you about how i was once an obsessive like yourself and i actually stalked brian to his home and just showed up. now look at me! me and the big guy are pals. no no they can't take that away from me.

I was actually thinking about taking Today! to a concert as it is one of my favorite albums by the BBs...

[ghost]

Sorry, ghost, I gotta disagree with you this time. Not only do artists not owe autographs to fans or ebayers or anybody ("but...I bought ALL their records!"), but they certainly have the right not to kowtow to every single person outside their circle. If they did, they'd be eaten alive. It's about keeping one's wits while traveling town to town every day for months on end.

Autographs = bonus points, in my book.

And just because somebody doesn't give you what you think you should get for free doesn't make them a Nazi/Nurse Ratched/whatever. Sorry.

Whatever ways you can rationalize the mean spirit behind letting someone wait all night just for their favorite musician or whoever to sign their favorite album or whatever. The guy said there was himself and a few other guys. Hardly a screaming horde of girls begging for Jeff now is it? Couple people, hey guys what's up, oh you're fans huh, alright then what Beach Boys song did I cover from the Today! album? oh you guys don't know it eh? GET OUTTA HERE EBAY SCUM. so dude, you're the real fan huh? well son let me tell you about how i was once an obsessive like yourself and i actually stalked brian to his home and just showed up. now look at me! me and the big guy are pals. no no they can't take that away from me.

I was actually thinking about taking Today! to a concert as it is one of my favorite albums by the BBs...

Have Jeff sign it "Smile-Brian Knows Me Too Well"