The Joyner Journal: Celebrities I've Met (Because I'm So Cool)

Since I was the tender age of about 12, when I purchased (well, my mom probably bought it) my first Teen Beat magazine (JTT on the cover, what what!), I've been obsessed with celebrity culture. Yes, yes, yes--I know, I could be into deeper, more meaningful things, but I am who I am.

I love me some celebrity gossip, even if I am getting old enough to say, "Who the crap is that?" when I watch the VMAs.

So, without further ado, I present...celebrities I've met, along with some photos.

'NSync--Yes, all of them. And it was amazing. I was about 14, and my great-uncle owned a club in Memphis they were playing. It was before they were super famous in the U.S. (I have a picture of this encounter somewhere...)
The Backstreet Boys--I was 20, and it was just as amazing as when I was 14 and meeting 'N Sync.
Chris Brown--I was 20 and in an elevator with him. He was super sweet (pre-Rihanna scandal) even though we chatted, I didn't recognize him until he got off the elevator. Oops.
Mike Tyson--True story. He and his posse came into Finish Line when I was working there in high school. We had to shut down the place because within minutes (maybe seconds?) there was a sea of people trying to come in an meet him. My manager told me not to talk to him. I totally did. He even said, "Hi, Emily." (That's MY name!)
Blake Griffin--Possibly the only celebrity encounter where I was less than cool. I was seven months pregnant with my first baby, and Greg and I had traveled to Kansas City for the first or second round of the NCAA tournament to watch our beloved Tigers play. The whole ride up there I obsessively talked about, "What if I meet Blake Griffin?" Then, walking through a hotel, I saw him. I might have yelled "Blake!" as he was trying to go into a team meeting. Then ran/waddled to him for a picture, but not before I told him, "I'm pregnant, not fat and ignore my Memphis shirt for now." (He played for the University of Oklahoma at the time.)
Andy Katz--Saw him on the same trip. For some reason, I don't think he was as excited to meet me as I was to meet him. Whatevs.
Mike Wolfe from American Pickers--He was sitting in front of us at a Tennessee Titans game last season. Super nice guy.
Peyton Manning--OK, I didn't actually meet him. When he was still in college, I saw him in the airport and I called out to him hoping he'd like run over to me and give me a hug or something. He didn't. But he did look at me and wave. I ran to my parents to find a pen and paper to get an autograph, but I never saw him again.
Memphis Grizzlies players--Although, like most Memphians, I've seen some around town here and there, I actually got to meet some at a luncheon for work last year. Super fun for a basketball fan like me!
Lots of Memphis Tigers basketball players--Maybe not "celebrity status" famous, but basketball gods in Memphis.

And I just realized all the famous folk I've hobnobbed with are boys...sounds about right.


I wasn't supposed to take pictures with the Backstreet Boys (my boss' rule, not theirs), but I snuck this one with AJ during some downtime after a performance. Such a rebel, right?