Entries by LasVegasLynn (886)

Classic Las Vegas Salutes Shecky Greene

From December 4th-Feb. 14th, 2015, the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas News Bureau and the City of Las Vegas are presenting an exhibit at the Charleston Heights Art Center Gallery called The Midcentury Las Vegas Stage: Acts that Built the Entertainment Capital of the World. 

Be sure to check it out for some rare, candid photos of this bygone era.

Don't forget our Special Sale on The Story of Classic Las Vegas is still going on! Details can be found here:

Special DVD Sale

"Shecky Greene was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the hotel (the Riviera) in business." recalled Riviera publicist Tony Zoppi.  "He consistently brought the high rollers to his show and to the hotel."  

Shecky Greene is one of kind.

He was on the opening bill with Elvis Presley, when the young singer opened for the Freddie Martin Orchestra at the Frontier Hotel in 1956.

He rotated as part of the "Party That Never Stopped" at the Casbar Room at the Sahara Hotel where the line-up included Don Rickles and Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Sam Butera and the Witnesses. It was the hottest room in town in those days.

He came onstage one night at the Casbar dressed only in a robe, laid down on the stage and did his act from there. Buddy Hackett, sitting in the audience, was so taken aback, he stripped down to his boxers and joined Greene on stage.

The rest of the story is here:

 ClassicLasVegasblog.com

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 4:53PM by Registered CommenterLasVegasLynn | CommentsPost a Comment

Classic Las Vegas salutes Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Sam Butera

Louis Prima, Sam Butera and the Witnesses- photo courtesy of Louis Prima, Jr.

 

Louis Prima- renowned bandleader, musician and songwriter -Sing, Sing, Sing-became a Las Vegas icon.

 

He was born on Dec. 17th, 1907 to a musical family in New Orleans. His mother made sure that all of her children were musically inclined. Prima grew up playing a hand-me-down coronet from his older brother, Leon.

He dropped out of high school and hit the road trying to make a living as a musician. He had his first national hit in 1935 with The Lady in Red. He and comedienne Martha Raye- who hoped to also be a singer- became good friends and Prima made his national  debut on The Fleischman Hour.

In 1936, he recorded Sing, Sing, Sing which became a boffo hit for Benny Goodman. When WWII broke out, Prima was unable to enlist because of a knee injury. Prima continued performing throughout the war years even playing for one of President Roosevelt's birthday parties.

He also was on his third wife by the end of the war. He had expensive tastes in clothes and food and loved to play the ponies. But big time success kept eluding Prima.

In 1948, a young 17-year old singer named Keely Smith auditioned as a replacement for singer Lily Ann Carol.

Read more at our new blog: http://classiclasvegasblog.com/

Don't forget our Special Sale on The Story of Classic Las Vegas is still going on! Details can be found here:

Special DVD Sale

Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 7:11PM by Registered CommenterLasVegasLynn | CommentsPost a Comment

We are having a Special Sale!!!!!

 

 

We are offering a special sale to coincide with our debut on VegasPBS (Channel 10) and just in time for the holidays.

Buy two Story of Classic Las Vegas: An Overview DVDs and get the third one for less than half price.

Total would be $60 for all three and that includes Free Shipping, a savings of $15.

Use the Promo Code (in the Coupon section) - A Special Sale- when going through the check-out process.

We will also add a Classic Las Vegas beefy t-shirt (black with our logo) for free while they last.

Perfect as gifts or stocking stuffers for those Las Vegas fans in your life!

Here's the link:

http://classiclasvegasblog.com/shop/

Remember, you are helping to preserve history with your purchase!

Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 4:23PM by Registered CommenterLasVegasLynn in | CommentsPost a Comment

The Story of Classic Las Vegas encores tonight on Channel 10

Happy Birthday, Nevada!!!!

Tonight, VegasPBS (Channel 10) encores our first person historical overview, The Story of Classic Las Vegas.

Hear from the men and women who grew up here, who helped carve a city out of a dusty railroad town and who helped turn that city into the Entertainment Capital of the World.

This is their story, the one that rarely gets told when people talk about Las Vegas.

We enjoyed talking with and interviewing all of the people who contributed their stories and their personal collections and we are thrilled that VegasPBS is sharing this story with all of Las Vegas!

Tune in tonight, Oct. 31st at 10:00 pm to see the encore with additional screenings throughout the month of November.

Here is the trailer:

 

Here is the broadcast schedule:

Here is the broadcast schedule:

Thursday, October 30 at 9 p.m.

On Nevada Day, Friday, October 31 at 10 p.m.

Sunday, November 2 at 2 p.m.

Saturday, November 22 at 5 p.m.

 We also have a few overnight plays (so set those DVRs!!)

Friday, October 31 at 2 a.m.

Saturday, November 1 at 3 a.m.

Monday, November 3 at 4 a.m.

 

Please let us know what you think!

Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 6:11AM by Registered CommenterLasVegasLynn | CommentsPost a Comment

The Story of Classic Las Vegas coming to Vegas PBS this Thursday!

 

 

Our documentary, The Story of Classic Las Vegas, is coming to Vegas PBS, Channel 10, this Thursday, Oct. 30th.

The critically acclaimed film, a historic overview  of the city's history, is told by the men and women who helped make that history aIt features a bevy of Las Vegas pioneers and their families. It also features some never before seen photographs and rare home movies.

We interviewed over 130 people as part of the overall preservation project and since we began the project back in 2003, we have lost over 40 participants.

We hope you will tune in and watch. It's a look at Las Vegas history that rarely gets told and we hope you enjoy it!

Here is the broadcast schedule:

Thursday, October 30 at 9 p.m.

On Nevada Day, Friday, October 31 at 10 p.m.

Sunday, November 2 at 2 p.m.

Saturday, November 22 at 5 p.m.

 We also have a few overnight plays (so set those DVRs!!)

Friday, October 31 at 2 a.m.

Saturday, November 1 at 3 a.m.

Monday, November 3 at 4 a.m.

Here is the trailer:

 

If you would like to buy a DVD of the documentary, you can do so here:

http://classiclasvegas.com/coolstuff/coolstuff.htm

Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 4:47PM by Registered CommenterLasVegasLynn | Comments1 Comment