YM July 2003

YM STARS - WE TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE REALLY LIKE

AWW YEAH!!

Name: Val Emmich

Where You've Seen Him: In AT&T Wireless, GotMilk?, and Burger King commercials.But Val, 24, is actually an indie singer-songwriter from New Brunswick, NJ, who only acts to pay the bills.

Why We Picked Him: It's obvious that Val - who's half Italian, a quarter Russian, a quarter German - is hot, but he also rocks. His debut album, Slow Down Kid, is a day-in-the-life look at all of his anxieties after graduating from Rutgers University with no idea what to do next. Who can resist a tortured artist?

If He Wasn't a Musician, He's Be: A soccer player. "I had aspirations to the World Cup.But I got Lyme disease abd was unable to play my sophomore year in high school." That's when he picked up a guitar and started writing songs.

Reason Not To Hold His Hand: "I have a bad sweating problem. My momput me in piano lessons when I was little, and I quit because I was so embarrassed that the teacher had to come wipe down the keys."

Communication Breakdown: "I sometimes speak more clearly through my music, which is good in an artistic sense, but kind of crappy when you're trying to build a relationship with someone."

So shut up and sing! - Patty Adams

**check out the personal signed article of this in the Autograph section