Pop star Justin Bieber rocks photo shoot in Spencer, eats in Salisbury

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 22, 2013

SALISBURY — Baby, baby, baby, oh!

If you’re feeling ill today, you may have contracted Bieber Fever.

Justin Bieber, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, was in town over the holiday weekend doing a photo shoot for Teen Vogue at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer and chowing down on waffles, we assume, at Waffle House in Salisbury.

Bieber stunned people at the Waffle House on Jake Alexander Boulevard when he showed up around 3 a.m. Sunday. A manager, who did not actually witness the teen icon but did confirm his presence, said restaurant staff were prohibited from taking photos and asking for autographs.

Then, the Biebster spent most of Monday afternoon at a hush-hush photo shoot at the Spencer museum.

Bieber is in North Carolina for a set of concerts. He played Saturday in Greensboro and has a show tonight in Charlotte.

The museum was closed for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so Bieber and the crew had the place to themselves, with the exception of a few lucky museum staffers.

Museum interim Director Larry Neal said a production crew from Greensboro photographed Bieber in several locations throughout the property. Neal said he never spoke to the pop singer, who traveled with an entourage and had a DJ playing music throughout the three-hour shoot.

Onlooker photos, videos and autographs were strictly prohibited, Neal said.

Bieber changed outfits several times, Neal reported matter-of-factly. Neal, who was decidedly not star struck, said Bieber is “just a little after my time” but added the museum welcomes the business.

The magazine paid for the privilege of using the state-owned facility as a photo backdrop. The museum has been struggling financially since the state cut its annual allocation by more than $700,000.

“It’s very beneficial for the museum in showcasing the fact that our property does lend itself to these type of activities,” Neal said. “We do welcome those shoots and movie production on site.”

Bieber follows in the footsteps of another heartthrob. George Clooney shot scenes for his movie “Leatherheads” at the museum in 2008.

Read more in Wednesday’s Post.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.