November 1, 2024

Where Are They Now? Catching Up with the Classics

9.3 min read| Published On: November 1st, 2024|

By Akers Editorial

Where Are They Now? Catching Up with the Classics

9.3 min read| Published On: November 1st, 2024|

Revisiting some of the people who have graced Style’s pages and seeing where life has taken them.

Ever wonder what happened to some of the faces you’ve seen on covers or feature stories in our magazine? In this special feature, Where Are They Now?, we catch up with some of the past stars from the last two decades. From business leaders to community trailblazers, we’ll see how their journeys have evolved and what exciting new chapters they’re writing today.

Michael Ray – April 2013 Style

A lot has changed for Michael Ray since we last featured the rising country star. From touring the nation to collaborating on new music and even launching a limited-edition bourbon, Michael is proving he’s more than just a country music sensation. 

The popular singer/songwriter from Eustis is wrapping up his “Drinks With Our Friends Tour,” which has seen him performing across the U.S. for much of this year. The tour, named after his latest single, “Drink with Our Friends,” will conclude in late October, marking yet another successful chapter in Michael’s ever-evolving music career.

He also performed in the ‘Backstage Series’ sponsored by Three Chord Bourbon, which created a limited-edition bottle that reflects his own style and taste. 

After the tour, Michael will return to the studio with renowned producer Michael Knox, who has worked with some of the biggest names in country music, including Jason Aldean. And Michael is writing new songs. Fans can expect fresh music to be released in 2025. 

When he’s not on the road or in the studio, Michael has been enjoying the great outdoors, indulging in his love for fishing and hunting during his downtime. 

Michael and his team are also hard at work planning the next year’s touring schedule. Dates are expected to be announced soon. 

Keith Seifert, Jr. – June 2020 Style

His business Sweet Bee Company and his family have grown since Keith Seifert, Jr. last appeared in Style. 

“Our hive numbers have grown from 1,500 to 2,000, and we now have a honey-extracting plant so we can sell in bulk and to retail outlets.” 

The Seiferts and Sweet Bee Honey Company also received their food-grade certification.

And Keith gained a wife. Kalee is in charge of marketing and retail for all of their beeswax-based products, like candles, soaps and lip balm. 

The company also has a new employee, little baby boy Weston, who was born last summer and is officially the director of cuteness. 

But life hasn’t been all honey and hives. The beekeeper also experienced a great loss when his mentor Stuart Thomas passed away a few years back. “I only talk to bees when someone passes away, it’s kind of like an old-time tradition,” Keith says. “We say ‘go tell the bees,’ and so I did.” 

Emily Ellyn – January 2014 Style

Celebrity chef Emily Ellyn has been heating up the culinary world with her infectious personality and unique Fabulous Fifties style during the last decade. 

Emily captured the hearts of Food Network fans by showing off her many talents and recipes. Today, she continues to use her platform to share her love for taking traditional dishes and remixing them a la “Retro Rad S tyle.” Some of her articles include “Soy 101: Farm to Fork” and “City Chicken Coops: Raising Chickens in the City.” 

Emily is now doing appearances, cooking demos, and speaking engagements, as well as guesting on The Food Network and other foodie channels. Emilyellyn.com

Kelly Lebrock – Style Inaugural Issue November 2004

Kelly was visiting horse country here in Central Florida when Style saw her, grabbed a photo and did a feature for the Inaugural issue and cover. The international supermodel/actress (Weird Science, The Woman in Red) has since stayed out of the limelight, spending most of her time at her ranch in Santa Ynez, California. 

She has, however, occasionally dipped her toe into the Hollywood pool. In 2005, she was on VH-1’s Celebrity Fit Club and soon after made an appearance on the U.K. version of Hell’s Kitchen. In 2013, she was in the Movie “Hidden Affairs,” and in 2015 played Queen Arian in “A Prince for Christmas.” She was featured with her daughter Alyssa in the Lifetime docuseries “Growing Up Supermodel” in 2017.

Tyler Reese Tritt – November 2015 Style

Since 2015, Tyler has taken a leap into the world of solo artistry, releasing her debut single “Perfect.” She has been touring ever since and last year she had a breakout year by kicking off the year by releasing her single “Porch Light” with an accompanying video. She followed that up with “Texas Hold Him,” which has captivated audiences in the country music genre. 

Beyond the spotlight, Tyler remains grounded in her hometown of Powder Springs, Georgia and says she cherishes quality time with friends and family, especially outdoors where she enjoys horseback riding and swimming.

Christina Vukel – November 2022 Style

Christina Vukel has been on a remarkable personal and professional ride since we featured her in our November 2022 Extraordinary People issue.

Over the past two years, Christina has headlined major concerts at the Women’s Club in Eustis, the Valerie Theater in Inverness, and the Orlando Repertory Theater. In addition, she’s released five singles, including “Whatever I Did” and “Feel of Fall” in 2023, “Gingerbread Town” in 2023, and “Things I’d Do” and “Growing Pains” in 2024.

Christina also had the honor of opening for major stars Sara Evans (2023) and the Gipsy Kings (2024) at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. And her song “Things I’d Do” earned her a spot in the top five at the Central Florida Public Media Tiny Desk competition for Central Florida. 

“I am astounded at the number of live performances I have done since then, which is over 220 performances,” she says.

In May 2024, Christina graduated from Mount Dora High School, where she had the honor of singing the national anthem and a special song she wrote for her fellow graduates. 

In August, drawn by Jacksonville University’s exceptional music program, she embarked on a new chapter. Christina was awarded a four-year Fine Arts and Merit scholarship, which she considers a significant achievement. 

“Life as a college student has opened my eyes to a more independent life and great new learning areas,” she says.

While continuing her education, Christina has remained involved with the Mount Dora nonprofit organization Shaping Hearts, where she has evolved from the social media organizer to roles like Summer Camp Music Director and Round Lake Charter Music Director. Though college keeps her busy, she plans to stay involved during her long winter and summer breaks.

Christina is in the studio working on her second album, which will have a dance theme. 

Alex Pring – September 2014 Style

In 2014, at just 6 years old, Groveland’s Alex Pring, born with no right arm from just below the elbow, received a 3D-printed battery-operated prosthetic arm. It was gifted to him by “Iron Man” Robert Downey, Jr. and made for him by student engineers at the University of Central Florida who were part of the volunteer group Limbitless Solutions. 

At the time, Alex was a first grader at Minneola Elementary, and after weeks and weeks of waiting for his new robotic arm to be designed and built, he said he was happy with it because he could do more things, including give his mom Alyson her first two-armed hug, which he did  immediately after being fitted.

Since his feature and cover photo in the Marvels of Modern Medicine Issue in September 2014, Alex has gone on to do, well, just about whatever he wants.

At the age of 7, Alex traveled to Atlanta with his family to meet Robert Downey, Jr. Today, he’s a 16-year-old junior at South Lake High School, where up until 2023, he played linebacker for the school’s football team.  

Irving Locker – June 2014 Style Village Edition

World War II Veteran Irving Locker is as active and vibrant as ever and happily sharing his story of lessons from a life well-lived as he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday this month.

People have to know their freedom isn’t free,” says Irving, who spends his time lecturing and showing off his WWII memorabilia to ensure people understand the true cost of freedom. 

He’s committed to spreading this message without charging a fee. He believes that’s what he’s meant to do. 

Irving enjoys answering questions from people of all ages, especially young ones. “The kids today know nothing,” he says with a chuckle.

He’s a firm believer in the importance of educating the next generation about history and the sacrifices made for the freedoms they enjoy today.

Irving makes sure to find time to stay active. He and his wife have settled into Trinity Springs, a facility that offers everything they need — a full gym, a theater, and a community where they feel at home. 

“We go out with good friends in The Villages,” he says. “We go to the Orange Blossom Opry on Thursdays and enjoy the show.” 

The key to Irving’s longevity? Staying active. 

“I think you gotta stay active, gotta keep moving, don’t sit,” he says. “Muscles go to sleep long before you do.”

Irving also remains dedicated to fitness. He works out regularly in the gym and maintains his strength. 

“Living to 100 proves that I’m doing something right. I don’t know what it is, but something,” he jokes.

Adding to his remarkable life, Irving has been married for 76 years to the same woman. 

“I still tell her how much I love her every day,” he says. 

The youngest of seven children is now preparing to celebrate his Nov. 8 milestone birthday surrounded by his large family, who will be coming in to honor his incredible life.

Joshua Brockington – November 2015 Style

At the time of his cover and feature story, Joshua was a senior at Tavares High School and fresh off the release of “Straight Outta Compton,” in which he portrayed the young Warren G, a rapper and stepbrother of Dr. Dre, whose rap group N.W.A. was the subject of the film. 

Joshua’s big break came after he recorded an audition at home on his school laptop. Within weeks he was filming in California and meeting Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. 

After graduating, Joshua decided to pursue acting—his passion since the age of 3—and split his time between Umatilla and West Hollywood, California, where he lived the life of a constantly auditioning actor. 

Screen credits include the 2017 ABC miniseries “When We Rise,” a 2019 film drama about love and loss called “Waves,” the OWN series “Cherish the Day,” and NCIS in 2003.

Petrina – November 2019 Style

The British transplant with the big singing voice was celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary the last time we interviewed her and is still happily married to hubby Michael Amsden. “He was my first friend here in the states and he still is able to make me laugh every day.” She misses parts of the UK but is very happy here singing and riding her ebike with Michael.

Petrina has since created “The Outrageous Music Trivia Show,” an interactive experience with music and bingo for singles in The Villages. “I’m thrilled that something that was developed a long time ago came out into a modernized gameshow.”  

On a sad note, her beloved brother back in the U.K. passed away, a tragedy that inspired her to take a pause. 

“You never know if things will start to slow down,” she says. “It’s inevitable someday, so I’m enjoying the journey that I’m on.” 

Grady Simmons – August 2022 Style

Grady “Bubba” Simmons, AKA TikTok Toddler, remains a social media sensation three years after being featured for his ability to smoke golf balls like a grownup.

Grady turns 6 this month and continues to amaze with his love and talent for golf. Since achieving TikTok stardom at age 3, his fanbase has stayed loyal, with many followers checking in on his progress both on TikTok (SimmonsFamm) and Instagram (@GradySimmonsGolf). Recently, Grady was invited to participate in a community golf tournament alongside his dad Austin, marking a significant milestone for the young golfer.

A recent growth spurt has Grady outgrowing his clubs, but that hasn’t slowed him down. His family moved to a new property complete with considerable land, giving him ample space to practice. He regularly plays with his dad and now that Grady’s older, their matches are always competitive. Grady is determined to outdo himself and his father. 

“He likes to win,” Aubrey says. 

Grady no longer needs help teeing up or positioning his feet, something that makes Austin a little sad. Now in kindergarten, Grady is preparing for formal golf lessons. Until now, he’s been watching tournaments and YouTube videos with his dad and following his favorite golfer, Bryson DeChambeau. 

Grady also has his own cheerleader, a 3-year-old little sister named JoJo.

“He goes to sleep talking about golf. He wakes up talking about golf. He wants to watch golf all the time; it’s his hobby and what he likes to do,” Aubrey says about Grady.

And while Grady is eager to keep improving, his family is all about making sure he continues to enjoy the game on his terms. 

“He chooses to play, and we want him to continue enjoying it,” Aubrey says. “You see these younger kids that sometimes get pushed intodifferent sports and you can tell, like, there’s no joy in it. We don’t want that for him.

“Right now, golf is what brings Grady joy, and it makes us happy seeing him do something that makes him happy, so we’ll see where it goes.” 

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