It seems a celebrity sighting in Bridgeport and North Central West Virginia isn’t as rare as they perhaps once were. A case in point is this past weekend when rumors that late 1980s and 1990s rap icon MC Hammer had been spotted in Philippi and Bridgeport.

 

As it turns out, it was no rumor. Hammer joined recent appearances in Bridgeport by Randy Moss a few years ago and Joe Montana last year. And roughly three years ago, Beyonce and Jay Z flew into Bridgeport to attend Salem International University's graduation.

 

Hammer spent Saturday afternoon in Philippi and then was in Bridgeport Saturday night. The Barbour County business was for football, while the Harrison County stop was for pleasure.

 

Hammer’s nephew, Jamaris Knighten, whom Hammer refers to on his on Facebook page as his “son,” is a member of the Battlers’ football team. He was there for AB’s game with Lenoir-Ryhne Saturday and word quickly got out that the legendary rapper whom some consider among the greatest dancers of the modern era was on campus.

 

Harrison County resident and 2003 Alderson Broaddus alumna Amber Morrison Shor didn’t believe it when she was first told. In fact, she was pretty sure that she was being given a tall tale.

 

“We were actually in the president’s box for the game and the school President (Rick Creehan) told me it was someone I should know because he was from my era. When I asked him who he walking about, he told that it was MC Hammer,” said Morrison Shor, whose husband is an associate provost at the school. “I thought he was busting me, but sure enough, it was MC Hammer.”

 

Morrison Shor said she first ran into at halftime as she was heading out to the school’s tailgate function. And was pleasantly surprised with just how pleasant he was.

 

“I got to meet him and he was extremely nice,” said Morrison Shor. “Before halftime was over and into the second half he came into the president’s box and everyone was asking for a picture with him and he was kind to everyone. He just was extremely respectful to everyone.”

 

The requests for photos continued that evening. Hammer ended up in Bridgeport at Buffalo Wild Wings and posed for multiple photos. They can be seen on several social media sites, including Facebook. If you have a photo you want to include in this story, send it to jeff@connect-bridgeport.com.

 

Editor's Note: Photo shows Amber Morrison Shor with MC Hammer Saturday in Philippi in the top, while Hammer is shown with his nephew, Jamaris Knighten, in the bottom photo. Bottom picture is courtesy of MC Hammer's Facebook page.