Back in the days when Joe Strummer was still alive and he was still with The Clash and he was wearing that orange mohawk, he and Cosmo paid a visit to KROQ (radio station in L.A.) This was when KROQ was still in Pasadena, on the second floor of a smallish building that also housed a Nursing Uniform and Supply store. I loved that location because it was close to my house and I could make it from my driveway to the station in about 20 minutes, just enough time to make it to the KROQ parking lot before the in-studio guest left. I'll list who I met in that parking lot at the end of this.
I think my friend Kelly Jimenez went with me to see if we could meet Joe and snap a few pictures, get some records signed, etc...
We waited for a little while and sure enough out popped Joe and Cosmo. There were other fans their too and both men stayed, chatted, had pictures taken and Joe signed whatever was placed in his hands. I got my Straight to Hell single signed, or was it the EP? Anyway, I asked him about this other band that I was getting into and he just thrashed them and said, "You're not buying into all that crap are you?"
I mean it was harsh and I was an impressionable young thing so the tongue lashing didn't feel so good, I guess Joe saw the shock in my eyes because after awhile of signing other records and chatting with other people he looked right at me and said, "I'm so sorry about what I said earlier." Wow.
I was able to talk with him a little bit longer mostly about the current tour and stuff like that...he was great and so was Cosmo. Years later, I came to realize the band I'd brought up was crap and a huge disappointment. Years later, I saw Joe and the Mescaleros at the Fillmore in San Francisco and realized that he and his music had never let me down.
I miss Joe.
Other musicians/bands met at the KROQ parking lot:
Billy Idol (high and hilarious)
Big Country (polite and sweet)
Sting (gracious and tall, kinda scary)
Duran Duran (patient, polite, good hair {ha})
Dave Wakeling (gentleman, sweet)
Heaven 17 (funny)
Modern English (we got parking tickets together!)
Johnny Rotten - almost (never came out of the station!)
Bono (signed my War record, he had a scar on his nose from diving into too shallow of a pool!)
...I can't remember anymore at the moment
