Vegas Free-for-All - Tenuous Brush with Fame

Tenuous Brush with Fame

Roulette Man

Mar 15, 2014
8:50am

I was playing craps at the Venetian, when the man next to me had a friend come up to him. It was David Brenner (who died today). It turned out he had an HBO special coming up and it was from the Venetian.

forkushV

Mar 15, 2014
12:44pm

Block User

I was walking aroung the LA Times Book Festival at UCLA when I came across Roger McGuinn of the Byrds singing "Hey Mister Tambourine Man," alone on an small outdoor stage doing a sound check. I was apparently the only one who recognized him, so for several minutes it was just me and Roger.

After a few minutes, he was joined by the "Rock Bottom Remainders," a group of successful authors who brag that they play music as well as Metallica writes novels. Amy Tan ("The Joy Luck Club") came out in a black leather outfit on a Segway singing "Leader of the Pack," and other members of the band included Greg Iles, Scott Turow, Dave Berry, Ridley Pierson, and Matt Groenig, and for some reason, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan as of the backup "girl singers."

Mitch Albom was once a professional musician in a bar off the Greek coast, and he was great on keyboards, so the overall sound wasn't bad. That night they had a larger show, which included Steve Martin, but I missed out because I already had plans. I should have cancelled them.

BAGIANT

Mar 15, 2014
2:24pm

Block User

Tomorrow I will tell you all the celebrities I've met.

straub66

Mar 15, 2014
10:04pm

Block User

Since this is a Vegas Forum I'll limit mine to Vegas locations and/or Vegas "celebrities".

1. A number of years ago was gambling in the Palms with my wife and my wife pointed to a craps table a few feet from our Blackjack table and pointed out Vince Vaughn, but at the time I didn't know who he was. Then she said how about the guy next to him: it was Ben Stiller (who I did recognize). This was just before their movie Dodgeball came out.

2. A few years ago again at the Palms, a few months after the Celtics won the NBA Championship (I'm from MA), I'm walking by the cashier's cage and I see I guy I recongize walk up and he is cashing in some chips. It was definitely Paul Pierce. Not wanting to freak him out while he was doing a monetary transaction, I waited until he finished and started walking away. I yelled over to him, Hey Paul Congratulations!! . He came over to me and I told him I was from the Boston area and he shook my hand and thanked me. Apparently he was in Vegas for the NBA summer league.

3. More recently this past October I was walking into the Palms Place lobby to check in with my wife. In the lobby standing up facing me is s guy that I knew from somewhere, but just couldn't place where I knew him from.

Anyway we checked in and got on the elevator and then it hit me. It was Brace from the Showtime TV show set in Vegas, Gigolos.

I was going to tell my wife, but she doesn't watch the show, so she wouldn't know who he was. Came back down about an hour later, but he was gone. I often wondered if he was on a "house call" at Palms Place.

ST

O2bnVegas

Mar 16, 2014
10:40am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: OFF KILTER

Quote
Originally posted by: O2bnVegas
A gal who was a senior nursing student when I was a junior (Memphis) dated Elvis Presley for a while (some time in the '60s). I think she was too tall for him. My friend's friend was a dental hygienist for Elvis' dentist, saw him several times. Again, Memphis in the '60s.

I was on "20/20 with Geraldo Riveras" for about 20 seconds in 1975 or so. The feature concerned a toddler's failure to thrive linked to defective formula. That was before Geraldo's famous treasure vault fiasco. Our doc had asked me "do you want to be on 20/20 with Geraldo?" I was overjoyed. Turned out our part was filmed in our hospital in Memphis, but Geraldo did his part from NYC. Oh well, I still had my 20 second TV career.

Pat Day, the jockey [retired, I guess] was on the plane when I flew to Dallas, connecting for Las Vegas. I was waiting outside the bathroom when Pat walked by. I called to him, he stopped and we talked a few minutes. He was real nice.

My father's step-cousin's grandfather, Capt. John T. Daniels, took the famous photo of the Wright brothers' first successful powered flight. The photo is in the Smithsonian.

I shook hands with Bill Clinton when, as Gov. of Arkansas, he toured our hospital on Veterans Day. Before he became President, before Monica, the dress, etc.

I talked with Hillary Clinton during a garden party for the Kidney Foundation at the Governors Mansion.

Had dinner at a table next to Joe Theisman's at Jack Binion's Steakhouse at the Horseshoe Tunica. He probably looked our way at some point. He was drop dead good lookin'. This was probably 1990 or so.

I played 3/5 play VP next to James Woods (The Shark; Lester Diamond in Casino) at Bellagio some years ago. He was very chatty and fun. I never let on I knew who he was 'cause I thought he might clam up or walk off if I acted star struck. I suggested he switch from DDB to DB. Right after he switched he hit for $800 and hugged me. You'd have thought it was a million, he was so excited.

I walked up to a craps table one afternoon at Caesar's Palace and got into a game going on that had about 5 players.... I look around after I get situated and see Joe Theisman at the other end...I say to myself "whoops"... "Never expected that".... How did I pick a table with a celebrity at it?

Anyhow, I lose my money alloted for that particular table and exit the game after just a few brief minutes... Joe looked good...The year believe it or not...around 1990.

Wow, so I suppose Joe T. didn't visit the Tunica Horseshoe just for a good steak. LOL.

OFF KILTER

Mar 16, 2014
11:58am

Block User

Seems like Joe at that period of time in his life was getting around a lot....Funny that two on this thread saw him in Vegas/Nevada around the same year.

Asked my wife if she knows who Joe Theisman is.

She has no clue who he is.

JM2300

Mar 16, 2014
12:09pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: OFF KILTER
Seems like Joe at that period of time in his life was getting around a lot....Funny that two on this thread saw him in Vegas/Nevada around the same year.

Asked my wife if she knows who Joe Theisman is.

She has no clue who he is.

Here's Joe

snidely333

Mar 16, 2014
12:44pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: JM2300

Quote
Originally posted by: OFF KILTER
Seems like Joe at that period of time in his life was getting around a lot....Funny that two on this thread saw him in Vegas/Nevada around the same year.

Asked my wife if she knows who Joe Theisman is.

She has no clue who he is.

Here's Joe

When them dice don't roll your way...you have to advertise prostate pills. It's ok. Jimmy Johnson was hawking something even better. Jimmy

OFF KILTER

Mar 17, 2014
8:35am

Block User

HERE'S JOE...

I remember that commercial...ANYBODY around here ever order the product?

Is the company still in business? Etc, etc,.

So many questions, so few answers.

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