Big crowd on hand to greet tired Nelly

Phil Sussman/Northwest Guardian

It takes more than a sleepless night to keep three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly from his fans.

Following a 1 a.m. performance in Las Vegas, a nine-hour recording studio session, a two-hour flight to Seattle and convoy from SeaTac Airport to Fort Lewis in rush-hour traffic, it’s no small miracle that Nelly arrived at the Fort Lewis PX awake and ready to greet an estimated 1,300 fans.

“I haven’t slept in over 28 hours,” said Nelly, who was born Cornell Haynes Jr. “But it’s OK. We’re going to get it done.”

As Nelly walked through the entrance of the Fort Lewis PX at 4:30 p.m., a thunderous ovation erupted from fans who had waited since noon for the hip-hop artist.

According to PX Manager Pat McGhee, Nelly’s visit to Fort Lewis had been in the planning stages for nearly three years. The autograph session became a priority to the rapper, however, when one of his representatives called Fort Lewis and discovered the spate of recent deployments.

“These (Soldiers) are taking the time to protect me and my family ... so I thought this was a great thing to do,” said Nelly. The St. Louis native, who starred in the 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard,” viewed his visit as a morale builder for the military families of Fort Lewis. Although Nelly was only 4 years old at the time his father served in the Air Force, he nonetheless considers himself a “military brat.”

During the three-hour autograph session, Nelly greeted fans, signed merchandise and posed for photos with hundreds of smiling admirers.

“It felt so cool meeting him,” said 12-year-old Chrissy Lyon. “I actually felt like I was famous standing next to him.”

Private Jermaine McClendon, one of numerous Soldiers in attendance at the signing, didn’t want to miss the “once in a lifetime opportunity” to meet Nelly. As a member of 3rd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, McClendon appreciated a visit from the acclaimed artist.

“I think it’s a good thing that he supports us ... and what we do,” said McClendon. “I went and bought his (newest) CD, just because of that ... He supports us, so I’m going to support him.”

Nelly expressed his mutual respect for Soldiers in a message to the troops.

“I want to say thank you. Don’t think that people aren’t aware of what you’re doing. There are people out here that appreciate ... and are thankful for what it is that (Soldiers) are doing ... because it’s something that not just anybody could do.

“People think that it’s hard to be a doctor or a lawyer, but try being a Soldier. Then you can really see how hard it is,” he said.