I don't know how I got there but I did. I somehow landed on NationalEnquirer.com yesterday.

Not sure if I needed a glorious fill of made-up celeb news or what, but I started to wonder how often Rockford is mentioned inside the pages of National Enquirer.

Doing a search using the term "Rockford" pulls up plenty of mentions. However, nearly every single one of them in the history of the National Enquirer talks about James Garner, star of the TV show The Rockford Files.

While that's great, I was looking for something a bit more, Rockford-y. So I decided to add "Illinois" to my search. Then I was back on the hunt for things more Rockford city-like and less James Garner-y.

What I found didn't shock me, but man, was I hoping for a few other "Rockford" mentions.

The most recent Rockford reference in the National Enquirer is from 2019.

Jodie Foster Mourning Death Of Her 90-Year-Old Mother

Apparently, Jodie Foster's mom is from Rockford. Who knew?

National Enquirer:

She (Foster's mom, Evelyn "Brandy" Foster) was raised in Rockford, Illinois but in the forties took her big band singing chops on the road to California.

The other Rockford reference is from 2015 and it has to do with the Body by Jake guy, Jake Steinfeld who was opening Live Positively Fitness Centers across the US.

Fitness Icon Jake Steinfeld Teams Up With Four Governors To Celebrate A Future Of Fitness

National Enquirer:

From there, the fitness guru (Steinfeld) traveled to Illinois and met with Governor Bruce Rauner to cut the ribbon on fitness centers at schools in Chicago, Elgin, and Rockford.

It looks like the Live Positively Fitness Center was put inside Lincoln Middle School according to the Rockford Register Star.

Outside of Body by Jake and Jodie Foster's mom, that's it. Those are the only two mentions of Rockford in the entire history of the National Enquirer.

If you're looking for more Rockford on the National Enquirer, you can always read up on James Garner.

brandedapppromo desktop_description="Enter your number to get our free mobile app" mobile_description="Listen anytime, anywhere. Get the best local news, weather coverage and more with our free mobile app."].

Sweet Lenny is the brand manager of 97ZOK, Q98.5, and Operations Manager for Townsquare Media Rockford. Catch him afternoons 3 to 7 on 97ZOK. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and like his page on Facebook.