The family of Miles Davis — Erin, Cheryl and Vince — express their condolences for the loss of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. At the start of his career, the Academy Award winner was working as a lifeguard when he met Miles Davis. Here is the story from WENN in his own words:

“I was a lifeguard in my early 20s at this place, the Metropolitan Towers… in Manhattan, and no one swam at this place. Somebody told me that Miles Davis lived there and so Miles Davis walked in and I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable so I pretended I didn’t know him.”

“He was wearing a Speedo (swimming trunks) with sunglasses and he had a towel and he got in the pool with his sunglasses and doggie-paddled about five laps, got out, took his sunglasses off and started talking to me because I don’t think that he knew that I knew who he was.”

“For about half an hour we sat there and looked out over Manhattan; he told me buildings he owned… accidents he got into, girlfriends, everything except music… and at the end of it he said, ‘I’m Miles…’ and he walked away.”