Most Thankful Celebs
beyonce maternity line, While recording a special TV performance in London last July, Beyonce managed to show that she cares about her fans and her fans' blood-sugar levels. When as many as 500 Beyonce-worshippers lined up for a chance to see the singer do her thing, Beyonce ordered them pizza -- 200 pizzas, in fact. Do the math on that one, and you'll realize that that's actually a fairly generous per-person serving. What says "Thank you for being a fan" better than a bellyful of cheese and pepperoni?
katy perry pregnancy, You know what's a great way to show your fans you love them? Allowing them to see you perform while bypassing Ticketmaster surcharges. Perry did just that when she announced a free concert on Nov. 23 for any and all fans willing to trek to Los Angeles' Staples Center. You couldn't demonstrate the spirit of Thanksgiving better if you had pumpkin pie and stuffing.
Twilight premiere pictures Rather than just bypass that throng of "Twilight"-crazed fans camped out at the premiere of "Breaking Dawn, Part 1," the newest installment of the movie franchise, some of the stars actually entered the trenches for an impromptu meet-and-greet. Granted, it wasn't the A-list Twilighters who braved this adventure into the world of fans -- Taylor Lautner (left) has his feet firmly planted on the red carpet. But given how much those Twihards care about these movies, you have to respect the courage of stars like Peter Facinelli, Jackson Rathbone and Booboo Stewart to get up close and personal with their fans.
Even the most selfless charitable act can still seem self-promotional, but Nicki Minaj demonstrated the best kind of self-promotion this October when she appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to perform alongside mini-fans Sophia Grace Brownlee and her cousin Rosie. The tots had become YouTube stars by covering Minaj's hit "Super Bass," and having Minaj accompany the young singers on-stage was an all-around win: Sofia Grace and Rosie got to meet their idol, the audience saw a once-in-a-lifetime performance, the video went viral all over again and Minaj showed fans that she cares about even the littlest of little people.
justin timberlake marine corps Via YouTube video last July, Cpl. Kelsey de Santis asked Justin Timberlake to be her date to the Marine Corps Ball. When the clip went viral, Timberlake agreed. But while he could have done the bare minimum as her escort, the star went above and beyond expectations. This week, when de Santis made the talk show rounds about her dream date, she told "Access Hollywood," "We were on the dance floor and had a good time at the table joking and laughing, so it was altogether really great."
You have to admit that ol' Gags knows her audience. It's one thing to simply make a show of representing the outside-the-mainstream, socially downtrodden kids. It's another to actually take measures to protect them. Early this month, Lady Gaga announced the formation of a nonprofit -- titled Born This Way, of course -- that aims to reduce bullying among young people and to lessen the rates of violence that can result from it. Although it remains to be seen exactly what the nonprofit will do, Gaga has walked the walk before, testifying before Congress last year about the need to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."
Selena Gomez paternity Not every pop singer is running around starting nonprofits, but they can all make good in their own way. Take Gomez (a cupcake of a pop star if there ever was one), who treated fans lined up outside a Victoria, Canada, concert with cupcakes. It's a small gesture, sure, but how many headliners do you know of who would personally walk a pastry tray out to fans?
The residents of Eminem's hometown, Detroit, have been in a citywide financial crisis for years. That's why it's remarkable that the rapper did what he could to pick up spirits. In September 2009, Eminem treated Detroit fans to a free concert that also offered a preview of his then-new album. The short-term gain? A story that audience members could tell their friends. But the long-term gain? Eminem demonstrated that he hadn't forgotten the city that made him who he is today.
Some celebs make people work for their rewards. Rihanna devised a socially conscious means to sell concert tickets: community service. Rather than have fans shell out money for admission to a May 2010 show in Tel Aviv, Israel, they simply had to work four hours of community service. This way, Rihanna was not just rewarding her fans but the hardest-working ones.
OK, maybe there's a slightly insulting undercurrent to being a "before" in a "before-and-after" makeover transformation, but Jennifer Lopez totally meant well when she handpicked two of her biggest fans for a "Good Morning, America" segment in which they got to walk away with selections from a fashion line Lopez had designed for Kohl's. In Lopez's world, it's the kindest thing she could do for someone else: making them slightly more like her. jennifer lopez new boyfriend
Miley Cyrus may have ridden that Disney Channel rocket to fame, but she's at least willing to take a few moments to help other up-and-comers circumvent the traditional paying of dues and climb the Hollywood ladder. Last April, Cyrus was a surprise guest during the mentoring sessions of "American Idol" contestant Lauren Alaina, an avowed Cyrus fan. With Miley's words of encouragement, Alaina soared all the way to the runner-up prize.
Believe it or not, the "Cowboy" singer isn't only about trailer parks and beer bongs. I mean, he is, but there's a dimension some people might not know about: a deep respect for his fans serving in the military. Of all the celebrities who have made a public effort to salute American soldiers, Kid Rock has proved to be the most devoted. He has both traveled overseas to entertain deployed troops and organized a major stateside concert on Sept. 11, 2010, at which servicemen and veterans could gain free admission.
