Normally I use this space to promote what's coming up on Good Morning Connecticut Weekend. And don't get me wrong.. I still encourage you to wake up with us from 6-8am on Saturday and Sunday. But today.. I want to tell you the story of entertainer Ben Vereen's tireless - and ultimately successful - search to find his 'real' family.

Ben was our guest Friday on NewsChannel 8 at Noon. I say he was our guest, but really, he was the star of the broadcast. Ben is in Connecticut this weekend attending the reunion of the family he knew he had, but took decades to find. He visited us to share his story.

Ben found out he was adopted when he was 21 years old. He was going to get a passport for a trip to London with Sammy Davis, Jr. That's when he discovered his "real name" -- Benjamin Augustus Middleton. Eventually, he tracked the Middleton family to Laurinburg, North Carolina. But his search for his mother stalled.. until about a year ago.

Ben met a woman named Roxie LaFever by chance - in Mexico, of all places. Roxie is, by day, a government contractor. But her hobby is genealogy. And with her help, last month, Ben was able to track down his people who knew his family in North Carolina. And they led him here to New Haven.

His mother, Essie May Middelton (Pearson), died more than 20 years ago. But she called the Elm City home for decades. And she had other children. This weekend, Ben is meeting many of them for the first time. His happiness is contagious.. his excitement so genuine. He still has a lot of questions about exactly what happened.. what led to his adoption. But he has a new family -- including a big sister -- and right now, he's busy making up for lost time.

If you missed Ben's appearance on NewsChannel 8 at Noon Friday, you can continue to follow his story with us through the weekend. NewsChannel 8's Darren Duarte spent the day with Ben and his sister - and he'll share that story with you Friday at 6pm. And we plan to stop by the reunion this weekend as well. I've got to tell you.. after spending some time with Ben and his sister.. we feel like part of the family too -- we're certainly sharing in the happiness of their reunion.