5 Times Celebs Looked Out For Their Biggest Fans
They say "Never meet your heroes." And sure, plenty of famous folks treat their fans as a bountiful resource good for nothing more than cash, adoration, and hasty one-night stands in convention hotels. But not all are like that. Some not only deserve your devotion, but something a little harder to come by, and a lot more valuable: your respect. Like how ...
Bethesda And Gearbox Immortalized Dead Fans In Their Games
In 2009, Gearbox received word of Michael John Mamaril, an ardent Borderlands fan who sadly passed away from cancer at 22. His buddy Carlo asked if the game's overexcited robot mascot Claptrap could eulogize him. Not only did Gearbox and voice actor David Eddings deliver a moving speech, but when they promised he would "live on forever in the Borderlands," they meant it.
And so the next Borderlands 2 update saw the arrival of Michael, a Vault Hunter extraordinaire and philanthropist who'll randomly pop up and bestow players with the thing they want most: rare weaponry.
More recently, Bethesda honored a fan named Evan, who succumbed to a diabetes-related illness at 24. Evan was a fan of Fallout 4, and so the devs put him right into his favorite devastated hellscape. And since his loved ones described him as the kind of good guy who "would give you the shirt off of his back to help those in need," Fallout Evan likewise hands out free stuff to any passing PCs, and only asks for them to sit for a moment and enjoy the amazing irradiated view from atop his burnt-out soda shoppe.
Related: 27 Celebs Doing Heroic Things You Never Hear About
Dave Grohl Wrote A Ballad About A Fan Who Got Buried Alive
In 2006, an earthquake destroyed the Beaconsfield Mine in Australia. When the dust settled, one miner had died and two were trapped half a mile beneath the ground. But when rescuers finally found them, they didn't ask for food or water. What they really needed to survive this ordeal was the guy who used to drum for Nirvana.
Disaster-roommates Brant Webb and Todd Russell spent a week living on nothing but groundwater and a single muesli bar. When the rescue operation finally managed to locate them, they informed the pair that it'd take another week to dig them out safely. In the meantime, they started lowering down food, drink, and iPods to keep the trapped men entertained. But Webb had a further request: Load those bad boys to the brim with Foo Fighter tunes, as he was a massive Dave Grohl fan.
Over the next week, the duo whiled away the hours listening to Grohl growl away in the darkness, his rock 'n' roll distracting them from the fear of being crushed by rocks. When news of the request reached Grohl's ears, he immediately sent a fax wishing the men strength, offering them free tickets to his shows as well as an offer to share a beer whenever they got out. The pair were rescued after 15 grueling days, and when the Foo Fighters played Sidney later that year, Grohl stayed true to his word.
When the two met up in Sidney, Grohl and Webb got wasted together, as the frontman had already promised: "I'm not just having one beer with those dudes, we're going for it." But then Grohl made Webb's century with another promise: to honor the brave miners by writing a song about their ordeal. And that wasn't just drunk talk, either. "The Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners" appeared on the album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Having your favorite artist write a song just for you almost makes it worth being trapped in an underground hell closet for half a month. Did we say "almost"? We meant "not even in the slightest."
Related: 5 Heartwarming Stories To Restore Your Faith In Celebrities
Stephen Curry Let A Nine-Year-Old Design His Sneakers
In 2018, nine-year-old Riley Morrison wanted some new sneakers. Specifically, Steph Curry 5's. But when she and her dad checked the Under Armour website, they found that the shoes were only available in boys' sizes. Aghast, Riley decided to go completely over the head of the entire company and write directly to Curry himself, asking him why his dope kicks weren't available for girls. Her dad took the letter, uploaded it to social media, and then forgot all about it, because parents know that a kid getting a response from a super-celebrity is about as likely as getting one from Santa Claus himself. But being jaded and cynical is for non-Steph-Curry adults, and the letter turned out to be a gamechanger.
Curry personally got in touch with Riley to thank her for raising awareness, writing: "I want to make sure you can wear my kicks proudly." Not content with lip service, he further invited her to help design a variant of his Curry 6's, called "United We Win." The proudly purple sneaker was released on International Women's Day, and features two girls playing basketball and inspirational graffiti like "Girls Hoop Too."
This made Curry the first-ever male NBA player to endorse a shoe aimed at women. But the real MVP is, of course, Riley, who didn't just get to meet her hero, but also champion her gender (and get a bunch of free swag to boot).
Related: 22 Inspiring Acts Of Kindness That No One Ever Talks About
Bruce Springsteen Wrote A Tardy Note For A Young Fan
At nine years old, Xabi Glovsky was already one of the biggest Springsteen fans alive (not that he had much choice, since his dad sang him to sleep with Springsteen since birth). So when his father saw a chance to take Xabi to a Springsteen concert, he figured consequences be damned, even if that meant the kid missing school. But the duo had already concocted a foolproof plan to get Ms. Jackson, Xabi's teacher, to forgive the tardiness. They prepared a permission slip from the highest authority possible: The Boss.
During the concert, Springsteen noticed Xabi waving a big sign that read "Bruce, I will be late to school tomorrow. Please sign my note. :)" He immediately turned to his bodyguards -- not to cast out this despicable truant, but to lend a helping hand. Xabi and his dad were led backstage after the concert, where Springsteen arrived to do exactly what he was asked to. So among the thronging fans, the Boss whipped out a pen and wrote: "Dear Ms. Jackson, Xabi has been out very late rocking & rolling. Please excuse him if he is tardy. -- Signed, Bruce Springsteen."
"Please excuse Xabi's tardiness. He was born to run about 20 minutes late."
Of course, the three spent the next few minutes hanging out backstage and taking some pictures to help prove this wasn't the most inventive excuse since the original "dog ate my homework."
Related: 5 True Stories That Will Restore Your Faith In Famous People
Problematic Athletes Go The Extra Mile For Their Infirm Fans
Throughout his football career, Randy Moss was most famous for being a massive wang to journalists, owners, teammates, and even his own fans. So it baffled reporters when they found out that off the field, Moss is an awesomely good dude who's great with kids. In 1998, two-year-old Kassi Spier caught the wide receiver's attention by shouting his name at a training camp. The toddler would follow Moss around, and the two quickly became buddies, holding hands and eating lunch together. But unlike most camp relationships, this unlikely friendship was made to last.
Moss stayed in touch with tiny Kassi, and was there when her life turned all shades of ugly. At the age of four, she was diagnosed with leukemia. At eight, she lost her dad in a car crash. At 17, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. But throughout it all, Moss remained by her side, taking any free time he had to visit her and offer support, love, and ridiculous toys. And when Kassi graduated from high school, Moss flew over to hand her the diploma.
Like Moss, NBA player J.R. Smith was less known for his basketball skill than for his skill at choking hecklers. Which is why people's minds were pleasantly blown when they found out that Smith was good friends with Brad Hennefer, a fan with Down syndrome. Hennefer and Smith actually met while golfing, and the pair quickly bonded over their shared love of the sport.
Smith says he has a special bond with Brad, who "inspires me to go out there and play hard." Not because Brad looks up to Smith, but the other way around. Just like Smith, Brad's a true athlete. He made varsity in two sports in high school, and in 2014 he even won an Olympic gold medal in golf. You gotta figure Smith is a little jealous. Just a smidge.
E. Reid Ross has a book called BIZARRE WORLD that's due to be released in September. He's practically on his knees begging that you pre order it now from Amazon or Barnes and Noble and leave a scathing/glowing review. Steven Assarian is a librarian. He thinks you should read 'How To Do Nothing' by Jennifer Odell. It's great.
For more, check out 6 Celebrities That Can't Figure Out Basic Human Activities:
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