Tipp City’s Sam Milby megastar in Philippines

"Tipp City’s Sam Milby megastar in Philippines
Dayton Daily NewsBy Mickey Zezzo, Contributing Writer
4:49 PM Thursday, March 3, 2011

TIPP CITY — Sam Milby’s entertainment tour of the U.S. has been cut back to three stops this year — starting in San Jose April 16 and followed by New York and Los Angeles — but it has nothing to with a drop off of fans.
Actually, just the opposite.
According to the Philippines’ heartthrob, the tour was cut because of his busy agenda and “faithful allegiance” to his ever-growing Filipino following.

The Tipp City native has attained nothing short of mega-stardom in the Philippines. He’s on magazine covers, billboards, marquees, television and in movies.

There’s even a sweet smell of success: a men’s cologne named Sam Milby’s Intense — and a bustling fan club labeled “Milby’s Mob.”
Talking from Manila, Sam Milby said “Mom (Elsie Macia Milby of Tipp City) advised me that I should try to land a modeling job and it turned out to be good advice — I landed a modeling job for young men’s clothes and from there the world seemed to open up for me.
“I made several trips with mom to Manila in the past to visit her family, but in ’05 I got past the culture shock and stayed.”
He first joined the cast of the Philippines’ “Big Brother,” then came movies — 10 at last count — then a lead role in a soap opera and a Manila TV game show host and a music release.

He has made several show touring trips to the U.S. and Canada, and three years ago drew a full house to Dayton’s Victoria Theater on Easter Sunday.
Past Filipino troupes, including Milby, also played Las Vegas and Guam.

While living in Tipp City, he and his older sister Ada, earned national acclaim in Junior Olympic figure skating. Ada is a National Guard vet who served a tour in Iraq and is now married and living in Columbus.
“They skated in pairs but not with each other, although they are very close,” said the mother, who shares duties as secretary at the Eagle Cloud forklift repairing shop in Tipp with her husband, Lloyd Milby.
“They were both home schooled and entered high school in their sophomore years. As far as thinking about his future, Sam was looking at the engineering field.”

Ada was Tipp’s first ever girl football candidate and she made the JV team her junior year as a running back. Later, she escaped serious injury in a road bombing in Iraq that killed two of her close friends.
The Milby’s lost a daughter, Emelyn, who died in a car crash in Troy at the age of 28, in 1996.

Friends got Sam interested in motorcycle racing in Tipp — completely unaware that his father was once a professional bike racing champ.
“He came home one day and asked if I ever did any Motocross bike racing and out of concern for his health I lied to him.
“But he found some of my trophies in the attic and I had to apologize and relent,” said Lloyd Milby.

“I think the thing I am most proud of concerning Sam is that he never lost his humility, despite the limelight. If anything, he’s still on the quiet side — except when he’s performing,” said Lloyd Milby.
When Sam Milby spent Christmas in Tipp City with his parents, he became attached to the family’s African Grey parrot, “Alex.” According to his mom, “Alex wanted to stay on Sam’s shoulder when he walked around the house.”

Sounds like another admirer was added to the growing fan club.
Contacted this writer at (937) 236-6032; mickeyz@zoomtown.com.

Dayton Daily News 3. March, 2011: Tipp City’s Sam Milby megastar in Philippines http://bit.ly/fyCvwJ

Thanks to Dayton Daily News for the story.

CORRECTIONS


Thanks also to Sam´s mom, who sent some corrections to the His Royal Hotness pex thread, where I also have posted this article. :


http://riia.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=449333&page=232

"Emelyn was my younger sister who died in a car accident here in Ohio back in 1996. Also, Ada skated single while Sam skated both single and pairs. And I am not the secretary...I am the owner"