I know this is a silly question and has little to do with home building, but just thought it might generate some fun answers.
As for me, I’ve only worked for two, and I wouldn’t really call them high profile.
Jim Dale – Popular English actor. Had some slight fame with a lead role in the movie “Pete’s Dragon”. Had much more fame as the narrator for the Harry Potter tapes.
Slyvia Sydney – Silver screen actress, huge in her day. Relatively unknown when I met her. Regained a little fame with her role in “Beetlejuice” and “Mars Attacks”
Like I said, not very high profile.
BUT, word is, Rob Zombie bought some property around here (I’ll keep flooding his street with fliers!)
Replies
I've done a good bit of work in the house that Fran Tarkenton's parents built, way back when I was a kid - she was my 4th grade teacher, but moved away long ago.
Forrest
A celebrity? No.................
Some famous people yes..................including one house that hosted a fund raiser for President Clinton's re-election campaign.
Of course most of them will remain un-named since they are all either waiting to be indicted for some sort of wall street horseplay......or in hiding from they people whose money they lost.
Plumber Bob has cut down tree limbs in my yard. He should but in here and tell everyone what an honor it is. :)
Crip walking across the net.
ghey #### stars dont count
Rush Limbaugh
How was he to work for?
Actually he wasn't there it was just his manager and he was really cool bought everybody lunch and even helped out a bit as we were under a time crunch. the whole thing was pretty bizarre. my wifes cousin has two guys at his house 6 days a week doing stuff and seems to really enjoy him as a client. He gives him large bonuses on a regular basis.
No kidding? Did he yell and smash the desk the whole time you were trying to get a check from him?
Hey BTW. We need a young wide eyed inexperianced with the world guy to take with us on the train. What's Angus doing in early August?
I know your whooped into not going or you would be there.
Crip walking across the net.
That would be your man.............. not sure what he's doing. I'll give him a shout out.
Angus gunners lookin for you.
Im not as whooped as mike but maybe a little. So whats up gunner how you been?
Been pretty good. Getting Psyched up for Crazy legs fest. Have you been paying attention to any of it. Three of us are going to get on a train and take a couple day ride to Seattle. Should be a good time. Then of course once we get there, we are going to participate in some bread breaking and felowship, and a little beer drinking since the trip will make us thirsty. :)
So you want in on the train? It's cheap.
Crip walking across the net.
I'm gonna be in Morehead at lunch tome today. If ya wanna hook up send me an email through here. Or get my number from Mike.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
Yes a couple, I have worked on John Ireland's house. He is an actor from the old biblical epic days, you may better know his daughter Cathy. My cousin dated her for awhile.
I also worked on Paul Williams house.
They were both excellent to work for.
Many. Lotsa sports stars, some movie, some music, one politico.
NEVER start without a HUGE deposit. They, or the homeboys, can't be bothered to call the money man to get you a check.
By HUGE, I mean 100% of true, expected cost. Trust me, that cost will change, and never down.
Girlfriends/wives are a major pain in the #### as well. Interior decorators they are doing are icing on the cake. Realtors they are doing are berries on the frosting. Groupies can be ignored, Mothers can not.
Make sure your paperwork is FLAWLESS! Pocketfull of change orders, prelim lien, all of it. Also helpful to do a little title search on whom the prop actually belongs to...I daresay the last contractor at Michael Jackson's 'Mansion' (100k per month rental) is wondering who is going to pay him. If I knew who he was I would call him and tell him: Ummmm...nobody.
My cousin put a roof on Goldie Hawn's house.
Kowboy
I haven't but DW is a RE broker and worked her way into Billy Joel's managers phone line and was his (Billy Joel) broker while he was looking for houses here in Cold Spring Harbor his old stomping ground and I think the name of one of his first albums.
She drove around with him for about two weeks showing him houses. Too bad he bought one further out east...the commission would have been....whewwwwwwww!!
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Not a celebrity but more money then God...Sergay Brin (just across the bay in PA)
Not really a celebrity, but a member of one of the ten richest families in Canada.
Not really willing to divulge names, but it was a real hoot. Check in at the gate, check it at the barn where 6 people were sitting around having coffee, I was there to work, they were clearly not inclined that way. Which house to work in? Which outbuilding to repair?
Hey, just how much land is associated with this property? nobody quite knew or was willing to disclose the info.
I did my work, got paid, never got a" hi how yer doin" from anyone. I was simply hired help, and not apparently not even valued by the other hired help. No offer of even a glass of water while working in the hot sun (on a roof), but I did get an advisement not to talk to anone unless they addressed me. If they had washrooms on that property they never told me where they were.
In this case, I've had more civil treatment from other folks who didn't even own 1/10th of the number of homes that these folks did, let alone even have 1/1000 of the income that they did. Maybe that's because they didn't have hired help.
It ain't about getting paid more than the going rate for working for rich folks, to me it's more aobut being treated with basic civility, or even at a level at par of what they treat their dogs or other pets. Despite the number of employees they had lookin after the compound, dspite them knowin where I was workin, some idiot forgot to turn off the automatic sprinklers....
But you know, from what I've been able to surmise, these owner folks were so far removed from the operation of their multiple estates and house, so far removed from the practicalities of residential upkeep, having trusted this to others, that they really ain't to blame. As long as the Porsche is washed and polished, who gives a sh*t if the casual carpenter gets even a nod of acknowledgement or even a word or two from the estate manager.
And as much as the rest of the world realizes that you can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar, for whatever the reason, that lesson hasn't sunk in with some folks. And if it has they is too busy to implement the practice in the culture of their homestead.
They must be the entitled, folks and who knows maybe their kin worked for Enron, Bernie, Ralph Klein or maybe even were benificants of the billion dollar bail-outs.
I used to think that it might be neat to do such work, and I'm somewhat thick-skinned and slow to get po'd; but I dunno if these folks called me again if I'd see my way clear to respond. I was dirt, that was clear from the time I entered the gate.
Not that I expected to be treated like some kind of Woodbutcher God, but it would have been nice if folks would have at least said "hello" or turned off the sprinklers where I was working eh?
After all I've had more fun working for folks who regaled me about tales of their attendance at the #### rodeo than I did working for these rich and famous folks. Less conditions, more fun, same $. Them poor folks even offered me coffee. Go figure.
perhaps I should have presented myself to this famous Canuck family as an ebeniste and charged 400$ an hour, affected a french accent, and may therby gained some acknowlegement.
Just not me.
I dunno if this family was so used to paying exhorbitant rates that they never thought that someone would simply charge them the same as any other client, or whether they were so far removed from the actual cost that they never even thought to look at the billing details. Maybe I shoulda offered a 10 or 20 percent kickback to the estate manager.
But I didn't
No worries, the allure of working for these folks just ain't there for me anymore under the situations I've encountered so far.
From my experiences so far, there ain't nothin that these foks that I've encountered so far got to offer me in fair trade for my labour,experience or investment. Are they any more "special" than some single mom or the local women's shelter. Methinks not.
I'm sure some rich and famous folks have actually talked to the trades around the house, perhaps even talked tools. Keep hoping for that, not encountered it so far.
But hey, a lady walking by whilst I was planing a door stopped and asked if she could use a plane. Tried it , cut a nice shaving, put a smile on her face and made some comment about being as sweet as sex. Whatya say to that eh? She warn't no rich and famous person and really didn't need to keep the gasoline in the porshe. Never had that level of interest in my trade or practice from anyone above middle class. They just don't give a damn what you are doing, but if you don't do it right, well that's another story.
The dollars involved, opportunities, experiences,etc in working at the high end are not so far removed from my day to day practice to say they are any more "special" or that I cannot obtain at a greater rate of job satisfaction and more regular work working for the general public. (who will actually offer me a cup of coffee from time to time!!) So what's the benifet that outweighs getting treated as an "underclass". I is Irish from wayback so I'm thinkin that I might be sensitive to that in some wierd way..
That's my nutshell perspective.
But whom am I to say that the rich and famous are not more "entitled" than the average homeless person. They probably vote republican or conservative (in Canada) eh?
Eric
Been in that situation b4Worked for some really rich folks in the heart of the adirondacks where i grew up. Check in at the gatet and drive 12 miles down a private road. Do your work on a "seasonal" mansion. Their closet is bigger than my entire house! More square footage in their bathroom than my block in town, and thats only one of the 17 bathrooms on the 1st of 4 floors of this great "camp." Oh, did I mention they change their minds like it was goin out of style?! Thats really frustrating...
if the rich folks were so annoying to work for, why are you hiding their identity? did you sign an NDA? otherwise spill who they are :)
my Dad was gonna build Thurman Munsons house but he died in a plane crash, I would have worked on it, He was a very nice man and told my dad details of the Yankees at that time.
My dad had coffee with Bill Parcells in the morn when he was a assistant coach, I met him to, Do you know he brought his lunch in a brown paper bag every day????.
I worked on Mafia homes.
"I worked on Mafia homes"
and yer still here to talk?.....................didn't they tell you to 'fugitaboutit'?
now they'll have to put you in the witness protection program....
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Me too, and yes they did tell me to fugitaboutit.Two different people 20 years or so apart. First one was an A%^#* and the other a nice enough guy.
mike
Wiseguys are great to work for. They take care of you and love to joke around . I worked many jobs here & there for them when I lived in Brooklyn.
I remember once I was helping this old welder friend for a days work and we were fabricating parts of a freezer unit in a warehouse for some Goodfellas. End of the day they had more cash than we knew what to do with and they said to us "You don't know anything about this place or it's whereabouts...right?"
To which the old guy says, "Huh? What place? Whatchoo talking about?" I was totally silent.I used to see those guys from time to time after that and they always hugged me and I would make them laugh.You can't make this stuff up.
When I was a kid living in NJ I used to do yard work for two Mafia bigshots. Never came across Jimmy Hoffa buried behind the tool shed, but the guys I worked for were a couple of oldtimers who allegedly were hooked up with the Gambino family. They paid great and always made sure I had lunch - homemade Italian food...yum!
Back in the 70's I helped a guy having a heart attack in the Bay Area. He was working in another division of my company and I happened to be near him when it struck.
He was a well liked cousin to a prominent "family" in SF, at the time. I had free meals anytime with my entire family at their family restaurant, forever. One of the guys called me aside one day and asked if I "needed anything, someone bugging you, etc." He mentioned "no matter where or when, just let him know and he would 'take care' of any situation".
Nobody mess with me......I got connections! ;)
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
before I got married we worked on a place in the country and the owner was in newsweek or time as one of the top 10 mob bosses.talk about don't axe don't tell.now I need to change my screen name and move....
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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.
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
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according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
No, but plenty who thought and acted like they were. Now, my regulars are celebrities incognito in my book and sometimes I get embarrassed when they treat me as such.
Edited 7/7/2009 4:24 am ET by habilis
Forgot one more, Bruce Swedien, he was Michael Jackson's sound engineer. Nice guy, down to Earth. Was real tight with Michael, stood up for him through the whole ordeal, and knew him very well.
No doubt very wealthy. Had a very impressive collection of Arabian horses. Big suckers.
Frank Lloyd Wright's grandson, also an architect, worked on one of my custom homes, as an apprentice carpenter, in the early 70's.
Joe Dumars, the current General Manager of the Detroit Pistons. I framed his house in 89, the year he and Isiah Thomas led the Pistons to their world championship. During that summer after he moved in, I had to frame his 3000 sf basement.
Joe was humble in every interview and he was the same guy in private. A true gentleman. He treated me with respect as he did everyone that he came in contact with. He's been very successful as the General Manager and I'm sure his demeanor has something to do with that.
HOLY COW! That's a big basement.
I'm starting to think that people in the sporting business / athletes and such would be your most, down to Earth, nicest of the wealthy to work for.
That isn't that big of a basement. When you stack two stories ontop, you are only building a 6000 sf house. The extra 3k down in the basement is just a little bonus.
His workout room was a surprisingly small room with only one piece of equipment in it. There was a large open area and four bedroom suites.
When I moved furniture. Aretha Franklin and Rob Deer.
This was back when ms Franklin wasn't paying bills. We were told not to open the truck till we got a check. We had to wait an hour for her aide to get the money.
I was the helper and was told to stay in the foyer except when actually bringing in furniture.
Rob Deer wasn't there. Just his guy.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
John Travolta
Kirstie Alley
Lois Chiles
The big and powerful people though are not 'celebrities' and don't want to be named and known. And they are generally pretty ice folks.
I have an appointment at 8AM at the home of one of the most powerful on the NYSE today so I gotta run.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Edited 7/7/2009 11:20 am ET by Piffin
I know you probably can't comment for professional reasons, but I have no qualms. Kristy Ally filmed a movie at a resort I do work for and was an absolute bi*ch.
I never know who she is."Will the real K A please stand up?"
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Guess if you catch them at the wrong time, that's the impression that you will always have of them.
As for me, I could be so moody sometimes I could rip some inocent guys head off who didn't even deserve it.
Could you imagine for a moment being a recognizable celebrity and strangers coming up to you and asking you all kinds of wierd questions?
Check out this hilarious video I found of Tom Wilson, he was "Biff" in "Back To The Future" (it's really funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwY5o2fsG7Y&feature=related
I wish I could find an excuse for her behavoiur - the closest I can get is that she is constantly surrounded by syncophants who gravitate to anyone with power in the entertainment business.
She stayed at a very nice local inn, where her dogs deficated on the floor while she was out and she then had the maids clean it up.
I had arranged to have some metal roofing delivered during the lunch break when they were not filming but when the truck arrived it couldn't unload because an SUV was parked in the way. When I asked why it couldn't be moved I was told "Kristy is on the phone". I had to tell them to move it or I would. The guy who slid into the drivers seat looked like he was going to die of fear.
I am a very easy going guy, but if I had a bull whip I would have cleared the whole crew off and down the road with no regrets.
Edit: Thanks for the video link Mike, but I'm afraid my dial up will not even load most pictures :(
Edited 7/7/2009 7:41 pm ET by fingersandtoes
went to school with her,sounds like money hasn't changed her.the older i get ,
the more people tick me off
Was this Travolta's home on the runway by any chance?
What were your experiences with him and Kirstie Alley?
Hey, now that I think about it Piffin, you're a bit of a celebrity here at Breaktime!
You've had your name published a bunch of times, plus you participate in many of the threads.
As for me and this wierd fantasy I have regarding celebrities, I guess you could say that I'm just your basic "star struck" type. Although I know what you mean that they are really just regular people like you and I. But it's almost like I have to see it to believe it. I have to see them in a natural setting doing normal things that normal people do.
And how did your estimate go this morning?
"I have to see them in a natural setting doing normal things that normal people do. "John Train's wife was walking me thru the house one day showing me her list of things to be done.
Come to the bedroom, and there he is in bed reading, waves at me and turns a page...A lot of these folks do have a later day/night schedule than we do. I remember talking to one about going by to look at some work. I said How 'bout first thing in the morning then?"Well that'd be fine, see you at ten."I was thinking seven or eightish is first thing...LOLNo estimate. I do all the work at that estate. I meet their schedule and they pay my bill. This one was a plumbing leak in a shower control valve. After things dry for a few days ( they will be there this weekend so no noise or mess) I will go back monday to re-grout to get it by for the summer, anticipating a total re-do of tile and substrate next winter.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
It's been a while ago now, but I hung a door at Johnny Rutherford's house--he's an Indy 500 champion. And also B.J. Thomas--academy award winning pop singer.
Does powerful businessmen count? If so, then Charles Tandy (RadioShack, Pier One, Tandy Computers.)
Also Eddie Chiles--"If you don't have an oil well, GET ONE!"
Harmon Killebrew. Minnesota Twins. (he was the francise for a number of years) I was just a kid and mowed his lawn and delievered his papers.
Really nice guy. Gave me his box seats once and when I scalped them instead of attending he from then on gave me cash..
Ironic how a guy who lived so modestly and must have made so much money in his lifetime is in such dire straights now..
I grew up in one of the Los Angeles communities where celebrities live so I went to school with their kids and sometimes met them on a personal level. For the most part, they were very genuine people.
While contracting in Upstate New York I worked for one Broadway star, Richard Kiley, on the country home where his wife and family lived full time. He and his wife were both respectful, gracious and friendly. Paid every bill the same day, without question. May they rest in peace, lives well lived.
Built a barn/boathouse for Stockard Channing's summer house. She played Betty Rizzo in Grease and was on the West Wing for a while.
Had the biggest crush on her when I first saw Grease
I worked for Jimmy Carter's son, Jack, when I was in college, and when Carter was in office. This was rural North Georgia, and we had Secret Service protection at all times. It got so quiet that the guys would go out and shoot rats on the railroad tracks just to pass the time.
I did get to go to the range with them, got to shoot an Uzi ! We used their Suburban a few times to move rail cars - the winch on the front was easier than trying to start the Ford 6600 Tractor.
Jack was a great guy - we worked long hours during harvest, but he gave me a nice Christmas bonus.
Greg
Here's the closest I ever got.........
I live in the former hometown of Ava Gardener. For those who don't know, she was a hollywood glitteratti for a while in the sixties (and seventies?)
I didn't move here until 2002 -- long after she was dead and buried.
But I've done some work in the local tourist attraction -- "The Ava Gardener Museum".
And I've worked on the homes of two of her relatives.
Stephen King
Did you ever peek through a skylight with a flashlight to your face and scream like a monster????']
You wouldn't want Stephen King mad at you that's for sure!
"Yes, Mr. King", "No, Mr. King"
He'd write you in one of his books as a character who gets killed off in some gruesome fashion
bobbys doesn't need to be written in as a character.He already IS a character!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I can't help but think that somewhere on the web is a forum for celebrities where they gather and discuss questions like,
"Have you ever hired a good carpenter?"LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I remember when Harrison Ford first came to popular attention he gave background interviews on his carpentry career claiming that he had "perfect plumb"- whatever that is. I still see it repeated in reverential terms in puff pieces written about him.
Anything to the fact that two of the three on your list are Scientologists?
Yes, John and his wife Kelly, plus his good friend Kirstie are all of that cult.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
There was an article a couple of months ago about someone starting a forum for specifically for higher wealth/income. And you had to qualify to join.Said that he was getting good response..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
All the time !!
LOL
OOOOh! Just remembered.......
(This has nothing to do with the trades....... but a famous person kinda!)
Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Warfield grew up in my hometown. When I was 18, I got a job at the local Western Auto store -- tires, household stuff, appliances....... just about anything. (By then, Paul was probably already retired from the Dolphins.)
And Paul's father was one of my regular customers. Dryden Warfield was a wonderful man -- honest and ethical, a kind word and a smile for anyone.
My late father was a rising executive at the electrical wiring division of GM before he died of cancer at 49. As a result, he had many opportunities to hire people who were rising stars in the electrical engineering field.
One of the guys he hired had formerly been an electrical engineer (actually more of an electrician) in the armed services, and for the secret service during the Johnson administration.
He was an electrician at Camp David while JBJ took his dumps there.
The stories were odd -- apparently LBJ was almost obsessive about the amount of light that was needed in a bathroom -- bright enough for a surgical theater.
Close to fame -- not really. But an interesting statement for a lull in conversation.
i have worked for Lou ferigno and his wife carla.he is a real good guy especially if talking about health. he asked if i work out i say no but i stay in shape by working every day. he asked me how old i was i said just about to turn 50 his quote at your age you must treat your body like a classic automobile then went on to show me some good exercises to strengthen my back.
i have worked for chuck Norris. the whole time i was there he was trying to convince me that he was not chuck Norris. until i pointed to a picture of him shaking hands with Ronald Reagan that was signed thank for all your work chuck.
worked on Jennifer Aniston and brad pits house but they were not home.
recently was at tommy chongs house.he lives next door to one of Oprah winfrys homes.
No but did wash the sheets on Stings tour bus before his last US tour. DW Uncle was the driver, got $100.
Hey guys, great feedback.
These are some really excellant posts. Like I said, it wasn't really a "home building" question, but just a fun one.
It's kind of been a growing fantasy of mine to land a "celebrity" as a customer. Might make the day a little more exciting.
Forgot another one, I worked in Jack Pars old house. For those who don't know him, he hosted the Tonight Show before Johnny Carson. Jack had long moved out, but boy, was this place nice. The living room was an enormous converted barn. The showers in the masterbath had SOLID marble walls, solid! One room had carpeting that I swear must've been two inches thick, it looked like a field of white grass....
"It's kind of been a growing fantasy of mine to land a "celebrity" as a customer. Might make the day a little more exciting."nothing to aim for - they're just like everybody else on that some are blooming idiots and some are nice as can be. Most are slightly more demanding - just because they can be, but they know they pay for it. Some you get to chum around with and some you'd rather not chum around with and the feeling is more than mutual.remembered another one - forget her name so she may not be a bona fide 'celebrity' tho. She was the mother of the family in the comedy series, ALF
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Worked on Shatners ex wifes home...she was very hot.
The most interesting customer was a Dentist who worked exclusively for the king of saudia arabia(retired dentist now) the mementos he had were priceless and the stories were very interesting.When this king guy was traveling he had a team of dentist who took care of his immediate family exclusively...
Oh and he paid me cash...always cash soooo sweet. And there was a reason for that to. stinky
I just did a quick search, was that Gloria Rand? Shatner's wikipedia article doesn't outline his personal life very well.
"she was very hot"
Could you say that she could "beam you up" anyday???
Oh, yeah, I got bit by Ray Knight's Daddy's dog one time ! Ray Knight and Nancy Lopez live here in Albany, Georgia. I used to run into them from time to time, Golden Corral, and the bank.
Greg
To be very honest I do not remember her name...I worked through a gc although she spent some time showing my daughter around the horse farm (lexington area)real nice gal. stinky
Worked on Shatners ex wifes home...
Was that around here? I had a set of plans come across my desk a few years ago named "Shatner" residence. Didn't have an address on it and I didn't get hired, but I know he (and maybe she) owns a horse farm here.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Hi Seeyou, this was off 25...between lex. and richmond. The residence was in her name. 25 acre mini hoarse farm. stinky
Maybe Not so Famous....
Designed a house for Elaine Marshall
(Anna Nicole's Billionaire ex-husband's Daughter-inlaw)
Designed a remodel and a Ranch addition for Norman Brinker (Chili's)
Designed a house for Darren Woodson (Dallas Cowboys)
My closest brush with fame...
I went to High School with the guy that Mike Judge modeled his Beavis (Beavis & Butthead)character after.
too many to list as a luthier , but as a carpenter/painter/woodworker , The famous HOMES I worked on and in are, Alice Walton ( Sam's daughter, at the time, one of the richest women in the world) , Tom Smothers, Burt Renolds, The Black Crows , ac/dc's bassist ( name is long gone fron my mind) and others that had summer homes in WNC Mtns. Around Highlands/Cashiers/Sapphire Valley.
The house I am in now is where Lee Majors used to hunt quail...kinda wonder if Farrah ever used my bathroom?
You still live in NC? We're going up to check out Cashiers this fall.I almost worked on John Edwards' house, but something better came up. Worked on a notorious ex-manager of REM's place.We make all our clients feel like celebrities<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
We'll have a kid
Or maybe we'll rent one
He's got to be straight
We don't want a bent one
He'll drink his baby brew
From a big brass cup
Someday he may be president
If things loosen up
Nope.
I'm in the Jelly State now (G).
Cashiers is nice and cool in summer thats for sure. The Black Crows house was over in Scaly Mtn. Mighta been over the line in Ga. actually. Burt and Lonnie were in Highlands. I THINK she got the house, his kayak from Deliverance was in a stone niche above the Fireplace..pretty cool.
If yer in Cashiers / Highlands, don't miss Whiteside and Devil's Courthouse, then take 64/28 scenic down to Franklin, the Cullasaja Gorge is awesome, I used to drive it daily...further west out 64 ya gots Standing Indian and Wayah Bald...and the Wasilik Poplar , the largest Poplar tree east of the muddy. About 11' in Dia. Ya fall over backwards trying to see the top from under it.
Dang, that whole area is cool for stuff...I could go on forever, I lived there 9 yrs I think.
We got the call to design and build John Edwards chief of staffs house a few years back. Guy name of Andrew Young. This was before Edwards had declared for the presidency. I turned it down off the phone call. Glad I did. We've designed and built homes for a bunch of lower level rock musicians. Stu Cole of the "Squirrel Nut Zippers". Sara Romwebber of Mitch Easter's "Lets Active," "The Flat Duo Jets" and "Snatches of Pink". Tod Jones of the "ExTeens." All of them very charismatic and personable folks.------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Lee Majors hunted quail in the house ??
Must be a pretty big ranch !!
Out back silly..LOL
Yeah, he was a bud of my neighbor, and we do have a LOT of damm quail here.
lee and farrah had a place in west monroe, la for a time because of the quail hunting.
Toni Morrison, & Howard Shore
Quite extensively both.
Some Broadway actors....uh...Richard Hamilton, the funny drunk in the red hat in the movie Aurthur.
Worked as an actor with Morgan Freeman and Garrett Morris
A bunch.
Jason Robards,
Tommy Hilfinger,
Montel Williams
David Cone
and a guy named Newman. And some others I've forgotten about.Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
Wow, you should see my inbox as a result of this thread! It's flooded!
I'm loving the feedback gang, great stuff.
I remembered a couple more:
Dennis Leary lived a quarter mile down the street from a job I just finished. Never saw him but had a realtor friend verify the address. I guess he must've been elsewhere at the time shooting his "Rescue Me" series.
Also, they filmed "Mr.Deeds" here in Ct. with Adam Sandler. The filming company gave a handful of store owners $2000.00 in return for the loss of business during the filming period. One of those businesses hired me to fix up his store front just in case it made it into a scene. Unfortunately it never did. But you could at least see the street in the last shot of the movie in which all you see are red corvettes. I could've met Adam but passed it up, though a bunch of my friends did and said he was real cool.
In 1992 I worked on the murder mystery film Consenting Adults with Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Forrest Whitaker, and Kevin Spacey. I looked after the big grey house on Sullivan's Island where a lot of the movie was shot. I was the owner's representative. Whatever was done to the house during shooting had to go through me. I put the house back together after Hurricane Hugo and knew the house and owners well.They built a half round screen porch on the back of the house and dismantled it and rebuilt it on a sound stage in Atlanta to film one scene because they couldn't get the light right. There was a scene where Kevin Kline was climbing up the sea wall to sneak in the house. In the scene at the top of the wall were pillars that had chains hung between them. Kevin Kline pulled himself up the wall and over the metal chains. All of the other hundred feet of chains were plastic. The night they did the scene the wind was coming in off the ocean blowing about 30. Well the plastic chains were spinning round and round like a jump rope. It was hilarious. Every one on the set was awesome. The food was incredible the three weeks they were there..I was on call 24/7 but usually showed up when it was time to eat.Constructing in metric...
every inch of the way.
Jim Dale, awesome narrator!
Mike
I still haven't heard the tapes, I only know he does them. But Jim Dale is huge in England, much bigger than we know of here in the U.S. I worked for him before he did the Potter tapes. His place was H-U-G-E. Driveway was a half mile of unpaved road around a massive lake. House was an old timber framed church that had been re-assembled from somewhere else (I think England). His wife was an heir to Timex. He was very nice the few times he was there. Told me his son was recording music with Elton John's son. I'll never forget he had these remote control collars for his Dobermans. Push one button, they sit, another button they return. If you watch the movie Pete's Dragon, he played the villain.
Yes, in the Hamptons. I'm not naming any names.
But as a consequence of where I worked, we did have Jackie Onassis come into the office one day (and met everyone). That was amazing even though we didn't do any work for her.
Jeff
Actually I am working for one of the top litigators in the country right now. His name is in the who's who, and you see his face everywhere here in the Philly area TV, the papers etc. A few books have been written about him.
Pictures of him with past presidents are around the place.
I don't know if that's a celebrity but it's been cool knowing him. He likes my clowning and he does a few impersonations himself.
Mike- I have had several clients that were high up in the food chain and very well known people.
Bruce Artwick is one. He wrote the Windows program we all use...and sold it to Bill Gates. Bruce also wrote the Flight Simulator program, and has two chips on the space shuttle he designed.
Congressman Tim Johnson of Illinois...I built an elliptical stairway for him several years ago.
Lyle Campbell was another one. He is a personal friend of George W. Bush....and it the owner of the Founders and Legacy banks. He also flew in the Syndney to London air race years ago...
I just finished a stairway for a Jeff Green. Jeff has some kind of strong political ties with Obama...as he was telling me of meeting him...going through the underground tunnels in Washington etc.
Stan Ikenberry was another client. He was the president of the University of Illinois for many years. He was involved with Bill Clinton on a high level....head lobbyist or something like that.
Celebrities are good for the business....but in all reality, they are more detached from us common people....do not seem to appreciate or get involved with what we are doing for them compared to building for more common folk. So...like anything ...there is a trade off....their projects tend to be more lucrative with a less personal connection.
Stan
Bruce Springsteen summed it up pretty good in an interview when he said "I've lived in some really nice neighborhoods and some pretty poor ones and no matter where you go, there's nice guys and a holes on every block."
Not me, but my son installed a metal fireplace surround in some SF "national name's" house - his employer gave him money to buy a whole new set of clothes, because he (the employer) had learned that, for celebrity installs, the workers need to be in white shirts and brand new jeans. Clothes that look like actual work have been committed in them apparently give most celebrities the impression that the work must not be the best. I guess, at some point of disconnection from daily life, you begin to believe in the virgin creation of objects.
Chris Sabo...former Reds 3rd baseman (?)
Peter Frampton
The guy who started the NuTone company's wife (both now deceased)
One of the ESPN guy's house
Arond the corner from Carson Palmer's (Bengal's QB)house (saw him playing golf on his mini golf course).
A few more I can't think of...
Bill Gates
Paul Allen
Howard Schultz
Leslie Rosenberg
Gee can you tell what area of the country I'm in???? LOL
I layed up a Rock Fireplace for Cactus Joe of "the Cactus Joe and itty bitty Pete cartoon hour",home town celebs in Roanoke Va. back in the day of innocence.