He has argued with Sir Paul McCartney about the Beatles, he helped orchestrate the 9/11 “Tribute to Heroes” concert, he has written three speeches for President Clinton and he just spoke with Johnny Depp and Keith Richards on the set of “Pirates III.”

This short list barely taps the surface of Rolling Stone magazine senior editor David Wild’s story bank.

He describes himself as being “almost, almost famous,” and said that someone actually recognized him at the airport as “that guy from ‘Behind the Music,’ ” while another guy thought he was from his high school class (he was not).

As part of the Peck School of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Series, David Wild spoke to an enthusiastic group of people in the Wisconsin Room of the Union last Thursday night. The lecture was dubbed “The History of Rock Music,” and as Wild informed the crowd, that lecture would require about eight hours and a much more knowledgeable person, like, say, Robert Plant, whom Wild described as a true musicologist.

However, Wild spoke for about two and a half hours, telling fascinating stories and answering plenty of questions for the clearly engaged crowd.

Wild has been a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine for over two decades now, and has interviewed every imaginable rock star during his ongoing tenure. In recent years, however, Wild has been concentrating more on writing for television shows such as “The Grammys,” “The Country Music Awards” and the award-winning Bravo series “Musicians.”

Wild has written linear notes for artists such as Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond and Van Halen and is referred to as “David dear” by Mick Jagger, which despite being straight, Wild described as being a very exciting moment.

Wild was not afraid to make fun of his past blunders as well as other artists' faults. Wild is a family man -- married with children in L.A., cooking breakfast and driving his kids to school like any other parent.

Wild began the evening with a story concerning Britney Spears and her now famous kiss with Madonna and the fact that it was rehearsed for roughly five hours prior to the show.

When Spears was asked by an interviewer if the kiss was staged, she said, “no.” Unfortunately for Spears, Wild was right by her and caught the eye of her publicist who recognized Wild and had to re-word Britney’s comments.

Wild engaged every person with a question at the reception following and literally had to be told to leave by the Union cleaning crew as he was signing past liner notes for several devoted Neil Diamond fanatics.

Despite Wild’s Jeffersonian-in-scope knowledge of popular culture, it was much more reassuring to have an intimate evening with a truly humble and generous man.

Perhaps being “almost, almost famous” is the best type of fame.

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