1986 ... music trade show in Albany. I met Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) and Tommy Aldridge (drummer for Ozzy and Whitesnake).
Rick Nielsen could not have been a bigger dick. I was 15 years old. Loved Cheap Trick. Finally met him and all he had to say was "Yo." That's it. Hey Rick, I've been a fan for a long time. Yo. Would you mind giving me an autograph? Yo. Wow! Thanks a lot!! Yo. A-hole.
Tommy Aldridge was the exact opposite. He was there representing Yamaha drums. Put on a sweet show. Gave a tutorial. Took questions from the crowd. Spoke about his experiences with Randy Rhoads. I remember someone asking him something about Neil Peart and he went on and on about how he respected him.
And every person who waited to get his autograph ... he thanked them for coming and expressed true appreciation.
I threw Rick Nielsen's autograph in the garbage about 30 seconds after I got it. Over the years, I lost Tommy Aldridge's autograph, but I'll never forget how cool he was.
And almost 35 years later, that bastard is STILL drumming for Whitesnake. He deserves it.