R&B superstar Chris Brown spends Saturday night at Peoria, Illinois bowling alley
What did R&B superstar Chris Brown do when he found himself with a Saturday night to spend in Peoria, Illinois?
"He went bowling," said Vince Pollard, bowling general manager at Peoria's Landmark Lanes, who said the incident left him "stunned".
"He's actually not too bad," Pollard said. "But what a night for us."
Brown had been in Peoria on covert practice sessions for his 11:11 tour, which is scheduled for Detroit Wednesday before appearances in Chicago this weekend.
Brown chose the Peoria Civic Center for these rehearsal sessions, something other artists have done secretly in Peoria over the years when they want a venue in which they can shake out their songs and setups ahead of performing elsewhere.
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So Saturday night in Peoria, Brown's tour bus pulled up and an entourage of about 50 joined him on the lanes at Landmark, which was once a destination venue for the PBA Tour.
"I got a phone call from his manager, asking if we were busy," Pollard said. "He said, 'Chris Brown would like to know if he can come bowl there at 10 p.m.?'
"I said, 'The Chris Brown? That Chris Brown? Well, yes.
"We got a security team together and created a VIP section for him. They stayed to about midnight."
Brown was joined by his dancers from the show, traveling staff, private security and some friends. They set up over eight lanes while Pollard cranked up the facility's jukebox, including some of Brown's songs, of course.
"The dancers danced on the lanes," Pollard said. "And Brown danced a little bit, too. It was impressive, after those guys danced for 10 hours on a stage at the Civic Center, and now they were doing it at a bowling alley for fun."
How'd Chris Brown roll?
Pollard is no stranger to the local bowling season, a longtime competitor in Peoria's Tournament of Champions and a man who is part of three generations of bowlers who've rolled 300 games.
His impressions?
"Chris Brown used a house ball," Pollard said. "Just picked one out and rolled a 112, 89, 117 and 135. I'd say he was among the top 5 in his entourage."
When the group was done, Pollard contacted Peoria police and asked them to assist with crowd control, as about 100 people had gathered outside in Landmark's parking lot, waiting for superstar.
"He's easily the most famous person I've ever met in my life," Pollard said.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.