Houseguest: Kelly Rowland, Destiny's Child member and solo artist (Simply Deep).

What Brings You to Valparaiso? Actually, a concert brought Rowland to Chicago. After sharing a bill in the Windy City with Christina Aguilera, LL Cool J and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Rowland made the 50-mile trek to Valpo (in a limo, natch). Father Essany's services were called upon when the Rowland stretch strained for direction. "For some reason, they took an exit in the downtown Gary area, on Fifth Avenue," says Mr. Essany, who talked Rowland's driver through the woods. (Just so you don't repeat the same mistake, Rowland's limo should have gotten off Route 30 at Merrillville.)

(l-r): Mike Randazzo, Kelly Rowland, Michael Essany
(Photo courtesy E!, 2003)

Extra-Special Guest Stars: Rowland was joined at the Essany house by her makeup artist, her assistant and her bodyguard, Shorty, who was anything but. "He has an intimidating presence, to put it mildly," Michael says. "But he had such a great time here, not only taking care of Kelly but enjoying my mom and dad's company; I think he would probably love to come back more than Kelly would."

Doggie Scoop: Rowland was joined on Michael's living-room couch by her pint-size pooch, Mocha. According to Mother Essany, the canine left behind no unwanted souvenirs. "She behaved very well," Mrs. Essany says of Mocha. "She was adorable, in fact."

Green-Room Gossip: Rowland's friends were hungry--so hungry, in fact, that they almost put away as much cheese pizza as Ernest. "Mr. Essany beat [Shorty] in that department. Mr. Essany ate a lot of pizza," Mike Randazzo says. (For the record, Dad admits to consuming "maybe a little bit over half" of a pie.)

Behind the Scenes: The Rowland appearance wasn't confirmed until the morning of the shoot. Working on short notice, Michael did prep work for the interview in between classes at Valparaiso University, where he's a poli-sci major. Michael chose not to share his booking coup with classmates. "I had to keep it quiet at school," he says. "We didn't want to create a major stir if it was discovered a major pop star like Kelly was coming to the house. It would have been a feeding frenzy outside." (At the Essany house, feeding frenzies are only permitted in the green room/kitchen.)

Totally Obscure Factoid: The wig Michael wears during his Bill Clinton sketch in this episode was purchased from a New York prop store, via a mail-order catalogue. Mom styled the faux locks.
(Courtesy E! Network, 2003)