ESPY Awards Part 2: BACKSTAGE with Wyclef & Samuel L. Jackson!

I wansn't planning on covering the ESPY Awards because I wasn't able to get press credentials for it. But being a Wyclef Warrior has its perks! I knew Wyclef was coming to town, but didn't want to bug him since he was so kind to me on his last visit. However Monday morning I awoke to a tip off of his hotel drop in less than an hour. Ran out the door and got downtown in record time! Waiting on the curb for his arrival, I sent him a direct tweet explaining that I wouldn't be at the ESPYs, but might see him at the hotel. Minutes later he arrived and kindly let me take some photos. I didn't even ask him for any favors, he just asked for my card, told me not to worry about it, then disappeared into the hotel. Later on I got a tweet from him saying simply "stand by." Fast forward to Wednesday, hadn't heard back yet and didn't want to get my hopes up to be disappointed. Too late to cancel the other job, so my overnights had begun and I was up from noon Tuesday till 9:30 Wednesday morning. But around noon I awoke to a text that Wyclef had a guest pass for me, so again I bolted out the door and made it downtown just in time. Wyclef's manager met me outside and, to my complete surprise, asked if I wanted to go say hi to Wyclef in his dressing room! I spent about 45 minutes backstage at the ESPYs, chilling with Wyclef and Jerry Wonder before the show, listening to music while Wyclef twittered away to his Warriors online. I recorded and posted the videos below during the visit, direct from my phone, and you can tell I need sleep, badly! I asked Wyclef what I could do to thank him, and he said he wanted me to tell you all just how real his Warrior movement is, so that's why I am telling this long story!



After that he needed to get ready, so I headed up to the red carpet, and bumped into Samuel L. Jackson on the way! I asked if it was okay to take a few shots of him and he said, "That's what you're here for ain't it?" Yes, it was! After the red carpet I watched the show from the press tent, but I won't be revealing any winners here, because the show hasn't aired yet! But I got a cople of shots of the presenters, Jeremy Piven and Rashida Jones, that I can share...
Thanks again Wyclef for another incredible experience I will surely never forget! Warriors Unite! Join the movement! @Wyclef http://wyclef.com

BET Awards Photos #1: Wyclef, Beyoncé, Ciara, 2 Uhuras, Kanye, & Alicia Keys

It was absolutely sizzling on the red carpet for the BET Awards 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles yesterday, and I'm not referring to the soaring temperature in the parking lot! The event was quickly restructured as a Michael Jackson tribute and everyone was there looking their best! Here is my first set of photos, including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Ciara, BOTH Uhuras: Zoe Saldana from the new movie, and the original, Nichelle Nichols, Kanye West and his girlfriend, Amber Rose, & of course my new BFF Wyclef Jean! I got to meet Wyclef earlier for breakfast at ihop with a small group of fans, so when he saw me on the carpet he came right over to shake my hand! This really irritated the other photogs I'm sure. After the arrivals, the media was brought inside to watch the show from the (air conditioned!) press room, and they brought some of the winners by to get photos with the awards. Wyclef was being honored with a Humanitarian Award, and when he came to the press room after getting the award, Wyclef again singled me out in the crowd and made me feel pretty special, even telling his producer Jerry Wonder to video me shooting pictures! Clearly, I have entered Bizzarro world and the hunter has become the hunted! Thanks again Wyclef, for letting me share that moment with you!