Who has met Jon?
 

Curious, has anyone here met Jon? Please describe! What was it like? What was he like?

If you haven't met him, do you have any idea what you would say to him if you did? I have no f*cking clue what I would say. I guess just "thank you".

Yes I've met him. He was nice - had a chat for a few minutes and requested some songs.

Met him back in the summer of 1995 for a couple of minutes, nice guy. Talked mostly about the then latest record These Days. He was down to earth but felt more like a rock star than what comes across today. He was really passionate about the music, the people and the shows.

Met him in 1996 on the set of The Leading Man (I'm in the background in the scene where he puts his number on a woman's leg).
I was special on-set VIP for a day, which included limo pick-up from station, my name is on the call sheet for that day's filming and I got to spend some time with Jon as well as the Director and Editor.

Really nice down-to-earth guy back then, before he seemed to become Mr Corporate. We joked around between takes, and I asked him about the Destination Anywhere lyric book that had just gone missing.
Got a bunch of stuff signed too.
He also told me that if I needed any tickets etc. for the summer tour to get in touch with "person A" and he would ensure it would all get sorted.
It never came to fruition though....:(

In the end I managed to get hold of a FAX number at BJ Management offices, told them the story, had a bit of a moan and I received a personalised signed photo.

I'm insanely jealous! He seems like he'd be a real nice guy in person, glad to hear it's true. Love hearing stories from people who have met him

I met him in 1998. He was exceptionally nice and easy to be around. I thought I'd be a nervous wreck if I ever met him, but he put me at ease. I told him how much his music meant to me and I asked if I could get an autograph for a friend who wanted to be at the event, but her father had died the day before. He gave me an autograph for her and an autograph for me too. He also was happy to pose for a picture and gave me a hug. I don't think I could have asked for a better experience meeting a celebrity. He was really down to earth. There were several people there who were obviously mentally and/or physically handicapped and he took special care to take time with them. I was impressed because so many people are stand offish or uncomfortable with people who are disabled.

Thank you for that story! Jon seems like a great guy, very down to earth. I've heard one story from someone who met him saying he's "an asshole" but I've never really bought it. Thanks! :)

I met him in 2010 at a Best Buy CD signing in New York City. We were told while in line "absolutely no pictures". I think close to one thousand people showed up and they were not prepared to handle that many. Luckily (thanks to Deb) I had a wristband and we were in the front of the line.

I was able to speak to each of them. I was able to tell David that I had just seen Memphis and loved it. But the part that was important (to me) was being able to tell both Jon and Richie how much their music had meant to me over the years and to say "thank you". That was really all there was time for but I was happy to be able to deliver that message in person.

Since we were among the first people inside - they all were still very gracious and pleasant. I also got my copy of The Circle signed. It was a real treat.

I met him in Paris 4 years ago , he wasn't very nice !

I have never met him personally, but I know maybe a couple of dozen people who have, whether they are fans or through the PR industry. As you may expect with any person, it's a mixed bag of "he's very nice", "he was normal", and "he was a dick" with the weight being on the first of those three.

Not bad, if I had people wanting to meet me all the time I would be a douche constantly. I am not one of these who even wants to meet him, I wouldn't stand it, and I do not know why some people (not just BJ fans) think that someone in the public eye needs to be nice to have themselves validated further. If Jon for example is a dick, let him be a dick (the consensus seems to be he generally isn't), it doesn't change what he has done and ultimately what people enjoy him for.

Explain?

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I haven't met him (well, kind of: leaving a hotel and signing my notepad (along with Tico and David)), but I also don't really see the fixation on it. I think if I'd meet him (I would totally love to meet Tico, but I don't know why really), I'd like to talk to him about his more social projects or I would get nerdy about certain songs and records :D.
I don't think it would be a big deal for me. It might be a bit strange, because I've been listening to the music half my life, though.

We were waiting for him at the hotel and suddenly he and Dorothea appeared there.
We asked him for a photo and he said : No! He didn't want to speak to us.
Finally he agreed because one of his security members told him : please Jon , they only want a photo.
And we had our photo.

Well, I don't know what to make of that. He was in a private situation with his wife (I am presuming), it can't be nice having people literally waiting for you. Besides, he actually relented when pressed to do so, which means he probably hated the situation he was in but was good enough to do the photos anyway.

Him saying no, or not wanting to does not make him "not very nice".

So, he clearly wanted nothing to do with you, only took the photo because his security pressed him into it, and you still wanted that photo? What's his face like in the pic?

Agree with this really.
I'm not the sort of person who would hang around a hotel waiting for someone to come out, nor would I really condone that kind of behaviour. At times like that, you're sort of prying into someone's personal life.

Likewise, I wouldn't go up to someone famous if I saw them in public with family etc.
This morning was a fairly good example. I was sitting on the train heading to work when at one of the stations a fairly well known BBC TV presenter (Matt Baker) got on. I've seen him get on there a few times as he lives locally, but it has never crossed my mind to wander over and speak to him. Fair enough, if he sat in the seat beside me I would probably strike up conversation, but that's all.

I guess my meeting with Jon was completely different though, as it was via a BBC tv show that I got the opportunity to be involved in the movie and spend some time with Jon.

Met him several times between 2000 and 2012. Most of the times he was very nice, sometimes when he was not in the mood for fans he showed it but this was okay.

Met him back in 84,complete asshole. Got me and friends thrown out of the hotel bar. The rest of the band were very well mannered,we had been talking to them for a good 30 mins . Then Jon almighty showed up and took exception to us drinking with them. From that moment on he has been off my christmas card list.:D

Aloha !

Meh...How hard is it really to take out 5 minutes of your day when you're on tour and pose for a bunch of pictures? There's plenty of stories out there of Jon acting like a twat anytime fans have waited for a few hours just to get a glimpse of their idol.

I'd love to meet the man. I reckon I'm the only one on here with the balls to actually insult him if he'd act like the pretentious bastard he can be. It wouldn't really get me anywhere, but I'd probably be very satisfied with myself.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Met him 2013 on a uk TV show. Just another bloke really, polite, humbled about the success of band, he knows who put the band where they are

If I was with my wife and she wasn't particulalry interested then it would be really hard. No matter who I was, what I had done, or who I thought put me there, my privacy would be my own. Any time someone tried to get in the way of that, I wouldn't be as polite as just saying no or looking disinterested.

Standing outside a hotel for hours to wait for some guy.
Walking outside your hotel and not wanting a photo.

Only one of them is normal behaviour to me, but I accept I have no desire to meet someone famous so am different to people who need that fulfilment. Now, other stories of being a twat, sure, if he is that's fine and people seem to have had different expereinces.

And, you wouldn't be the only one who would have the balls. That would be everyone else here on this forum who have yet to meet him who all think they would say something, but would all be pussies and say very little. But then again, I have a box.

I met him in London outside their hotel, he rocked up in a Mercedes People Carrier with all his family, I thought it was a bit rude to ask for a photo, so stood back. he ushered his family into the hotel and then came back to see us, he signed some stuff and had a picture taken. I thought it was nice that he came back and was completely unexpected, seemed like a nice guy.

Aloha !

Meh, I don't know. If you're out touring Europe, you're bound to expect fans outside your hotel, and so is she. It kind of comes with the territory. Don't get me wrong, I never understood the fascination of trying to get your picture taken with one of your idols and I'd certainly never wait for anyone to come outside of his hotel room. However, it's still only 5 minutes of your day, and those 5 minutes will probably leave an impression on people for the rest of their lives.

To me, it kind of brings back the "don't forget where you came from and who put you where you are now" theory. Down the line they're in Europe travelling because those fans outside that hotelroom paid for their ticket. All he's got to do is say "Alright, 5 minutes guys, get your cameras ready". That's snap, snap, snap, a few autographs and you're done". I'm sure sometimes you don't feel like it, but that's when you man the **** up.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Like footballers celebs should ALWAYS find time for their fans. It's the fans that pay their wages and it's only a couple of minutes out of their day.

I've never met Jon and wouldn't want to. Because the guy has been my music idol I fear that I'd be crushed if he was rude or obnoxious - the same happened to my wife meeting Bryan Adams

Super I agree with you,but sometimes stars can have bad days just like the rest of us.They say you should never meet your heroes but for those who want to stake out a hotel for the chance of an autograph take the chance that it could go wrong.
I once went to see a band called ESP in Germany,made up of Corabi,Garrick,Kulick and Singer.Most people wouldnt know or heard of them but they are all veterans of rock. As luck would have it they were staying in our hotel and one night we walked into the bar and they were all sat at a table. My wife and I sat at the bar watching the news on TV,ordered food and chatted. Bruce Kulick(KISS) noticed my tshirt and asked my wife and I if he ordered food would we mind if he sat with us. He then proceeded to eat his dinner and chatted with us for over an hour about the news and various other topics. He was a total gentleman and before he left took us over to the rest of the band and introduced as friends by our names to them. He went above and beyond that night and who knows on a different night he may have totally ignored us. It was a memory that will stay with me forever.
The point im making is that like us these rock stars are only human.Good days bad days,if you have a positive experience then its a bonus.Being a superstar doesnt guarantee you will always be having a good day!!

The One Show?

[QUOTE=nickolai;1182680]Like footballers celebs should ALWAYS find time for their fans. It's the fans that pay their wages and it's only a couple of minutes out of their day.
/QUOTE]

But what if you meet 50 people during the day who only want 5 minutes?

A family friend of mine used to be a famous football player in a certain country and especially in a certain city. The thing is, when he was out he was never able to be himself because he still had to play a certain role because of what people here are saying as well : 'I want my idol to be the way I think he should be.' That being said my friend is a very kind-hearted man who is also quite humbled and really appreciates the support of his fans and he was still trying, but at the same time he was under an enormous pressure to also fulfill people's expectations.

I agree that you cannot totally separate the private and the public life of a famous person, but that is the main reason why I don't mind if this person is not totally kind and nice to every fan at every time, as long as they show some manners.

Buf it is part of their jobs and the fans are the ones who give them the load of money they get.

I have to be nice to my customers, too.

But you don't have to face customers whenever you leave the house.

Yeah unless your job is 24 hours it's not the same thing.

If it's done tactfully and calmly I don't see anything wrong with saying no to a photo request, especially if you get it every time you go outside.

I've met Jon and Dave a bunch of times. Never Richie or Tico.

I try to stay away from original questions/statements like, "your music influenced my life" :rolleyes::rolleyes: Because they never heard that before.

I have to more often than any celebrety has too.

Me too. I'm face to face with 100s of customers a day. I know what'll happen if I don't turn up one day...

When I met Richie I went a little bit fan boy and blurted out how I wanted to say thank you and that he was the reason I played guitar. And his absolutely face lit up with pride-he put his hand out and shook my hand!-and said "Wanted right?" to which I said "no, In These Arms!" and he was stunned and said "Wow cool! Really?" and we had a cool chat about guitars and playing-he asked me loads of questions (in an interested way-I'm not trying to insinuate I taught Richie anything!)

Bit off topic I know but I thought I'd share...good things can come out of telling people how you've influenced them.

How can you both work more hours than a celebrity? If being asked for a picture constitutes a celebrity "Doing their job" then just be being themselves they're working and there's no time someone couldn't ask them for a photo. You can leave your job, they can't. I'm not taking the pity the poor celebrity route but branding them an asshole for saying no once in awhile is pretty okay in my books.

When you work for the community in the departement for social welfare and live in the area where your customers live and know you you get asked by them something everywhere they meet you. They dont care if it is weekend, in a supermarket or on the streets.

Hah, disregard what I said then, you have a valid comparison. My point was more about 9 to 5 clock in clock out jobs.

The difference being, the people in your example aren't hanging around your hotel or house waiting for you.
Sure, you bump into them in the supermarket or on the street, but they aren't out actively looking for you!

Well, serious

I met him outside his hotel a week before the band were opening The O2. This was when Richie was still in rehab. He was in a bit of a bad mood, but he still managed to sign a billboard I had, and I had time to string in a few sentences (one of them being a request to play Die 4 U :D )