That Time Malcolm Jamal Warner Visited East Texas

(Tyler, Texas) - I'm not one to hold celebrities up on this everything-they-do-is-great pedestal. Having said that, there are some that I am a fan of. Most of the celebrities I am a fan of I would not want to meet because I'm afraid it would ruin my perception of them.

One celebrity I got to meet many years ago only heightened my fandom for him. It was an event our group of stations hosted in Tyler called Women's Night Out. It was a night for the women of East Texas to shop vendors geared toward them, enjoy a fashion show and get to meet a celebrity they love.

Malcolm Jamal Warner

One of those events, out celebrity guest was Malcolm Jamal Warner (people.com). I believe this was in 2009 when we brought him to East Texas. For the East Texans that are my age, 47, we knew him as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. He was America's Brother at that time.

In the green room at the old Harvey Hall Convention Center, we got to hang with him for a few moments before he went on stage. I am not exaggerating when I say that he was the most down to Earth and nicest celebrity I've met during my career in radio.

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Hearing the News of His Passing

When I saw the news this morning that Malcolm Jamal Warner had passed away, I was very sad to hear it. I thought back to those Thursday evenings watching him with the family. I thought back to that day in Tyler and how cool it was to meet him.

I pray for his family and his millions of fans right now. He was enjoying time with his family in Costa Rica when the ocean current swept him into the deeper waters. Others on the beach were able to get to him and bring him ashore but he had already drowned (KLTV).

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