Buckminster Fuller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I met Buckminster Fuller in Philadelphia, PA,USA in 1978. I had just begun my world peace efforts one year ago. During that time, I devoured almost all of what Bucky had written.

I had the opportunity to sit and talk with him for 35 minutes. After I asked him to autograph my guitar, I stood next to him while he autographed it. After signing his name, he scratched a square with diagonals connecting opposite corners.

He then looked up through his telescopic eyeglasses, smiled,and said: "Tetrahedron!" (This is the basic geometric figure in Bucky's architectural innovations). I felt like a first year student talking with Einstein.

I sent him a copy of my essay on creating a global nation, and we exchanged some correspondence. He offered some great acknowledgments of my efforts. I was organizing a speaking engagement for him when he passed away.

I feel Bucky will eventually be considered as historically significant as Galileo or da Vinci. It was a true pleasure to meet him.

Muhammed Ali.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1980, I traveled to Chicago to meet Muhammed Ali, who was to be the Grand Marshall for the World Patriotism parade. I had been given a letter of introduction by the mayor of Louisville KY USA, the hometown of Ali and myself.

When I arrived at the site of the organizational meeting for the parade, it was buzzing with the news Ali was there. I met his personal liaison and showed him the letter of introduction He invited me to come to Ali's hotel room the following morning at 8:00am to meet him.

When I knocked on the door, Muhammed answered still combing his wet hair. I told him the liaison had told me to come talk with him. He invited me in saying I was not intruding and he liked meeting people.

We went to the couch for him to sign the guitar and I was really taken as to how big he was. He signed the guitar and I was impressed how unimposing a signature he left.

I mentioned to him that I would like to have Kris Kristofferson's signature too and he said let's call him! He immediately went to the phone, and I then pulled one of my bigger faux pas. I said it was 5:00am in Los Angeles. He agreed it was too early and hung up. I doubt Kris would have minded.

Muhammed then asked me how much money I had. In 1980, I had shoulder length hair and a full beard. Dressed in faded denim, he must have thought I was living on the streets and in those days, he was not far wrong.

He pulled out a big roll of money and handed me $100. He said he did not want to run too short and handed me another $100. We went downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. He joked and sparred with the kitchen workers and introduced me to everyone as Kris Kristofferson.

We went outside where the limousines were waiting. I was to ride to the press conference with Muhammed. He asked the doorman if there were a restroom on the first floor and told everyone to wait a minute as if we would leave him.

At this point, a friend, whom I had not seen in years, came out of the hotel. We no sooner said hello than Muhammed tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I were coming. I told my friend I had no time to explain and the last they saw of me was handing my guitar to Muhammed and leaving in the limousine.

At the press conference, Muhammed was swept away and I ended up leading his son on a horse in the parade. The guitar became heavy and I put it into a van of a Native American group.

Muhammed had invited me to come to Detroit to perform for the anniversary of the Nation of Islam. Instead, I stood there holding a horse I did not know what to do with and watching the van with my guitar heading to some unknown place in Chicago. I spent the following day rescuing my guitar and then headed home.

Harry Chapin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the opportunity to meet Harry 5 times. The first was in 1978, a year after I began my world peace work. I had seen him on television once. He said he would rather try something and fail than look back in ten years and say I wished I had tried.

The second time was less thrilling. We were sitting backstage and he was waiting to go on stage. We sat there for 20 minutes and I could not think of a thing to say. Another time I rode with him back to his hotel and we did talk some. Another time, I spoke with him while he was trying to get some rest.

The last time was when we had breakfast together after a concert. He told me that what I needed to do was not chase after "second-rate flakes like Chapin" and get my own program underway. If successful, the world would come to me. Unfortunately, he died about the time I was getting this work together.

Harry was very committed to ending world hunger. He said that if the people at the top of society were not responsive to the needs of the people at the bottom, then they did not rate the support for them to be at the top.

 

Carl Sagan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I met Carl Sagan in Moscow, Russia at the Soviet-American Summit II in 1990. This was a conference of  religious and political persons on the basis these two groups have the attention and support of the majority of the people of the planet.

I was impressed with his Cosmos series. The last episode was called “Who Speaks for the Earth?” I think that question is before us all now.

Sagan and I had a short conversation during a break in the sessions. We also had some correspondence, but he passed away soon thereafter and nothing developed from our exchanges .

 

Bob Dylan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Dylan was doing a concert in my city and I contacted his manager to see about getting Dylan's signature. He asked me to come to the sound check for the concert. At that time, a friend had expressed interest to be my manager.

At the sound check, Dylan's manager asked for the guitar to take to Dylan for the signature and I was to wait until he returned. I stupidly agreed and said my manager would go back to watch over the guitar. Consequently, I never laid eyes on Dylan.

Needless to say, his music has been a fundamental influence on me personally and professionally. His song, Maggie's Farm, among so many others, has been a favorite.