Pete Allman's Celebrity Scene News January 2001

Left to right, William "Wak" King, Walther Clyde Orange, Pete Allman, Jame Dean "J.D." Nicholas

The Commodores lead singer, J. D. Nicholas told me it's been three years since the group appeared in Las Vegas. In town for the Billboard Awards, the group is scheduled to open March 30, 2001 for two days at the Las Vegas Hilton's main showroom. "Vegas always has lots of action, yet when you want to relax, there's so many places to enjoy away from the strip," J. D. told me. Nicholas, now a single man, has made Las Vegas his permanent residence.

      Sisqo, honored for Male Artist and New Artist of the Year, writes a lot of his own material and is quick to admit he doesn't sample anyone else's music.

Sisqo

Faith Hill, honored for Hot 100 Single of the Year, Breathe and Artist and Female Country Artist of the Year, said she was looking forward to spending time with husband Tim McGraw for Christmas. "We'll cook together. It's a holiday tradition." Faith said she's not much of a gambler but enjoys Las Vegas. Her husband, on the other hand, is quite a blackjack enthusiast.

      Cutie Mandy Moore said she enjoys coming to Vegas, especially to revisit friends at the Billboard Awards. "It's one big party," she said.

Mandy Moore

The group Creed, honored as Rock Artist of the year, consists of Seat Philips, Scott Sterpp, and Mark Tremonti, a bunch of basic down to earth guys, enjoy donating a few bucks to both the blackjack tables and craps.

      Joe, honored for R&B;/HipHop Air Play Track of the Year (I Wanna Know) is a cool, very bright artist. "Like anything in life, you 'gotta be creative and get yourself with the right brothers. It's not an over night thing," Joe says.

Joe

Son By Four honored for Latin Tracks Artist of the Year gave credit to Diane Warren who writes some of their music.

Son By Four

Britney Spears, honored for Album of the Year, also received a special award for the biggest one-week sales of an album ever by a female artist.

Tony Braxton was honored as Female R&B;/Hip Hop Artist and Christina Aguilere as Female Artist of the Year.

'N Sync received Album of the Year for No Strings Attached. Dixie Chicks were honored as Country Artist of the Year and Destiny's Child as Artist of the Year.

Tina Knowles, the beautiful blonde, introduced her mother to the press as their hair stylist. The girls were elated, to say the least, when they received their award. Their New Year's resolution, and y'gotta love this one: to lose weight. The group is crazy about the bright lights and the energy Las Vegas exudes.

Dig the names of some of these groups, jive names for sure - 3 Doors Down for instance, who recorded Who Let the Dogs Out. How about Kryptonite, Baha Men and Vertical Horizon, not to forget the group Pink.

A truly interesting honoree for Hit 100 Songwriter, Rob Thomas writes from inspiration. "It doesn't matter if it's 3:00 a.m., if I'm led to do so I'll write at that hour." Rob is very inspired by James Brown's music.

Danny Glover, who wasn't in the best of spirits because of pains in his knees, didn't want to chat much about Vegas. He chose rather to talk about equality and harmony as depicted in his film Boesman and Lena. He did, however, manage to laugh a bit about the fact that Vegas has a film festival at all, and is growing in its cultural status.

Danny Glover

Actor Martin Landau presented the CineVegas Marquee award for Artistic Achievement to his friend and colleague, Mark Rydel. Rydel's films, On Golden Pond, The River, and For The Boys were selected for the award.

      Phyllis McGuire of the McGuire Sisters, also at the Festival was thrilled when asked to present the CineVegas Marquee Award for Lifetime Achievement to Tony Curtis. Curtis, who resides in the Anthem Country Club area, said he enjoys restaurant hopping with his beautiful, young wife, Jill. Why not? Jill is an eye-stopper.

      Director Bernie Pollack, known for the Electric Horseman, Tootsie, Rain Man and Marathon Man, was honored for Artistic Achievement, Costume Design.

Red Line

      The Fed Cup won't be returning to Las Vegas as planned. According to the US Team Captain Billy Jean King it's debut didn't pack the Mandalay Bay Events center. It did, however, present some interesting challenges for Lindsay Davenport who was on the winning team. "I'm not used to these heavy balls. It makes it hard on the serve," she states. King on the other hand gives credit to the U.S. Team for their championship. "One thing I keep telling people is, it's not the coach that makes the player, it's the player that makes the coach."

Left to right Lisa Raymond, Lindsay Davenport, Billy Jean King, Monica Selles, Jennifer Capriati

Ayalo-Tapia Deliver Spectacular Fight

Johnny Tapia and Paulie Ayala battle for title.

Boxing fans have had their share of complaints with boxing promoters, judges and matchmakers. That is, until recently, when former 4-time World Boxing Champion Johnny Tapia (48-1-2, 25 KO's) attempted to regain the WBA Bantamweight title from Paulie Ayala (30-1, 12 KO's). The fight, held at the MGM Grand Garden October 7th, was attended by many Tapia fans, packed with an attendance of 6,681.

Ayala on the defensive.

This was one fight where both fighters battled each other for all 12 rounds. Johnny Tapia looked to be in his best form, throwing many power punches to Ayala's kidneys and midsection. Ayala, on the other hand, scored a lot of points against Tapia, but not necessarily with power. Tapia cleverly made Ayala miss many punches. According to Judge Chuck Giampa rounds 1, 2, 6, 7 and 12 were in favor of Tapia. His final score was 115 for Ayala to 113 for Tapia. Judge Keith Macdonald had Tapia losing rounds 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 scoring 116 to 112 in favor of Ayala. Judge Jerry Roth had Tapia losing rounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 11 with a final score of 115 to 113 in favor of Ayala resulting in a unanimous decision.\

      Tapia has fought an uphill battle starting out from the barrio to having a father who was murdered before he was born, and later his mother. Nevertheless, he won two National Golden Glove titles by the time he was 21 gathering an amateur record of 101-21 with 65 KO's. In 1988 he turned pro and 21 straight wins later, won the USBA Junior Bantamweight title. At that time he got addicted to cocaine and lost his chance at a world title when he tested positive three times in 1990 and 1991. So it was three years that Tapia was away from the ring and nearly died from drug overdoses.

      With the help of Teresa Chavez, however, Johnny was able to kick the habit and return to boxing in 1994, capturing the NABF title after winning five straight wins. His 3rd round TKO over Oscar Aguilar paved the way for a shot at his first world title. Three months later in his hometown of Albuquerque, Tapia became the WBO Junior Bantamweight champion after an 11th round TKO over Henry Martinez. During the three years he defended his title, Tapia also added the IBF Junior Bantamweight title to his collection when he fought against hometown rival Danny Romero in 1997. Then both belts were given up in 1998 when he moved up in weight by fighting for and winning the WBA Bantamweight title against Nana Konuda. He held that title until 2000 when he went up against Paulie Ayala.

This was considered by many to be the fight of the year. For 12 solid rounds both fighters slogged it out with Tapia receiving a few bruises to his face. The decision went to Paulie Ayala taking the WBA Bantamweight title. That was a tough fight for Johnny because the day of the fight he found out the identity of the man who murdered his mother many years ago. That man has since died in a traffic accident in 1983. Regardless of his hardships, Johnny Tapia has turned out to be a real champion in life as well as the ring. Teresa Chavez, now his wife and manager, had a lot to do with that as well as their faith in God.

      Yes, promoters say Johnny and Teresa are difficult to work with. Both understand the politics and lifespan of a boxer. Johnny has perhaps two more years before he retires. In January of this year, after taking off for 6 months, Tapia scored a 12 round decision over the defending titleholder Jorge Eliecer Julio. He took home his fourth world title, the WBO Bantamweight title. Then, in May of this year, Johnny defended his title against Javier Torres. Tapia then gave up the title and moved up in weight after a bout with depression and an incident with a guy who had a gun. That's basically what happened. Now, even though his loss to Paulie Ayala is a big disappointment, Tapia plans to fight Ayala once again, proving to himself that he is the better fighter. According to the fans and TV talent boxing-analyst, Bobby Czyz, Tapia won the fight.

Promoter Bob Arum with Johnny Ayala after winning against Tapia

Eric Morel and Alberto Ontiveros duke it out.

Other fights in the card that night included Eric Morel (27-0, 16 KO's) winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Alberto Ontiveros (12-3-3, 10 KO's). Morel is the WBA Flyweight Champion. Danny Romero (39-3-1, 33 KO's) stopped Jorge Reyes (21-14-2, 17 KO's) in the second round of a 10 rounder. Arturo Morales (1-0, 0 KO's) TKOed Ruben Coronado (3-3, 0 KO's) in 132 of round 2 and Jose Celaya (4-0, 2 KO's) took out John Trigg (4-7-4, 2 KO's) in a decision.

Hawaiian Tropics Pageant

 

Pete Allman and Robin Leach

Robin Leach is certainly enjoying life in Las Vegas, especially pageants such as the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Pageant. Leach has no problem with self-esteem. When asked if he was enjoying living in Las Vegas, he stated "It's obvious I'm enjoying myself or I would not be here. Las Vegas is grand and I have homes all over the world."

Jennifer Garies, a former contestant in Miss Hawaiian Tropics, who successfully escalated her modeling career into acting, said picking Miss Congeniality is hard to do when you don't know the contestants,"I was never able to get to know each one individually."

Garies was a contract player for three years on The Young and the Restless. She played Grace, an evil woman, Jennifer says that everybody loved to hate. "I've been working on the transition into movies which is a very difficult one." It looks as though hard work has paid off for the young actress. She is featured in Arnold Schwartzenegger's 6th Day and in Lucky Town with James Caar. As for her personal life, "I go out with someone because I enjoy their company, not because of what they can do for me or what I can do for them," states Garies.

The top four girls who won this year's nationals were Crystal Wagner, from Las Vegas, Kathy Pompony of Atlantic City, Lori Stuart from Oklahoma City, and Jennifer Carles.

Pete Allman with the Top 4 Contestants.

Some of the celebrities who attended this years event held at the Tropicana Hotel were Dennis Haskins from Saved by the Bell and Mario Lopez of Pacific Blue, Tom Halleck formerly of The Young and the Restless, Jay Berstein and Bill Mark, Rick Fox of the L.A. Lakers and Carl Malone.

Dennis Haskins picks his favorite.

Ron Rice, the founder of The Miss Hawaiian Tropic's Pageant, spoke of his paranormal experience on BuckTV.com with Buck Hunter and myself. According to Ron, his Grandmother on his Mother's side was most important to him throughout his youth and adult life. Ron had taken care of her when she broke her leg. In any event, she passed away at the age of 85. "One night, about 1½ months ago when I was in Florida, she came to me in my sleep," he said. "I could see her clearly, but there was no dialog," states Ron.

Also on the show, Ron's daughter, Princess Sterling, who is quite talented, spoke about her step dad, John Hughes, who was killed from sleeping pills after having a glass of champagne. One night, when Sterling was sleeping he visited her. "He came to me and gave me a kiss," she states. "Then, one night when my mom was walking down the hall of her home she saw Dad and he hugged her thanking her for taking care of all the details. Then he walked down the hall and vanished."

Pete and Jennifer Carles.

 Traci Taylor, of Chicago, had a similar experience while Shiloh McCormick, of College Park, Maryland experienced something different. Shiloh had removed mud from the wall of her closet only to find it back in her closet after removing it. Dawn Angus, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin had similar experiences. If you have had some unusual experiences and would like to share them, call BuckTV.com at (702) 597-0670 and leave your name and a phone where you can be reached. Someone will call you back to arrange your appearance on Just Beyond Imagination.

Bruce Willis displayed another side of his personality at The Foundation Room at the House of Blues recently. He had some fun grabbing some girl's butt. Oh, well, Bruce had quite a few drinks and got carried away. A friend said he was blowing off steam because of his divorce.

Dennis Rodman, bless his soul, he sometimes just can't control himself. The truth of the matter is that Rodman loves attention. That's why he dresses up in all sorts of outfits. "He's flamboyant," stated Monte Rock III, one of the local celebrities here in Las Vegas.

There are common threads, which link artists, entertainers, songwriters, and actors

Mia St. John, the beautiful brunette boxer with a record of 10 wins and no losses,girlboxer.jpg (10563 bytes) including six knockouts did not start with a career in boxing. At age 6, she started marshal arts, and her amateur career in Tae Kwon Do as a black belt was 27-1. At 31, Mia has achieved much of her success with the help of Bob Arum, President of Top Rank.

St. John, formerly married to Kristoff St. John of The Young and The Restless, spoke about her marriage. "When I first met Kristoff, I was able to better understand how to break into television. I was struggling as an actress. I was envious of him, but now that I think about it, I am a personality in the media's eyes. I am very fortunate to be in the field that I am in now. Kristoff and my two children, Julian and Paris, get along well. We have a wonderful communication. He's my best friend." Mia is currently negotiating for the centerfold and front page of Playboy Magazine. On May 8th, Mia will be fighting at The Las Vegas Hilton. Included on the fight card is 'El Tigre' Garza, who will fight Jorge Paez, and Erik Morales defending his World Boxing Council Super Bantam-Weight title against Wayne McCullough.

Tomi Rae, America's new singer sensation was discovered by James Brown. As Brown's opening act, Rae is currently touring in Europe. She recently appeared at the 18th Annual Music Industry Celebration at the Wyndham Belage Hotel in West Hollywood.fabrice.jpg (11519 bytes) This year's event, sponsored by Anheuser Busch Companies was well attended. April Sutton, best known for her Hollywood reports on Geraldo Rivera, hosted the show. Sutton introduced the honorees, including Fabrice Morvan. Morvan was part of Milli Vanilli, which is still known on four continents today. After five years of seclusion, Morvan has appeared in VH1's top rated documentary explaining his struggles with quick fame. Today he is the voice on KIISFM from 12:00 - 1:00 PM. His new CD, "Love Revolution" is planned for release this year.

There are common threads, which link artists, entertainers, songwriters, and actors. Recently, Bill Pinckney of the original Drifters was honored with the Pioneer Award at the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Awards. Other honorees included Johnny Adams (posthumously), Joe Simon, Charlie Thomas, Brenda Holloway, Barbara Lewis, Mikey Baker, Garnet Mimms, Johnny Moore (posthumously), Barbara Lynn, and Dee Dee Warwick. "Every time you and I meet up, it's nothing but a good time," stated Bill Pinckney. Pinckney reminisced about his friendship with James Brown and how he influenced music. "James Brown and I go way back. He was smiley.jpg (14010 bytes)a little kid when we got started. We played in Georgia in the early 50s with a young man by the name of Clint Brandy. When James Brown got through lumping off the piano and hitting the floor , it was a night to remember." Pinckney is the only surviving member of the original Drifters. He is going to keep singing he says, because there is a message to give and it is God's will.

Tito Puente, referred to as a legend in Latin Music is receiving more recognition around the world. Celebrating 50 years as a bandleader, having recorded 17 albums, and receiving 5 Grammies with 11 nominations, Tito says Las Vegas hasn't really opened its doors for him. "Las Vegas hasn't meant anything to us. it hasn't enhanced my career. None of the major hotels have booked us."

Mike Horn, President of Cable Radio Network (CRN), said talk radio on cablemikeHorn.jpg (10127 bytes) television is fast becoming the way of the future. CRN reaches 13 million households, with 3 1\2 million in Los Angeles. You may reach CRN on the Internet by logging on to www.cableradionetwork.com, or call 1-800-336-2225 toll free to ask your question. If you want to talk to Pete Allman, call between 11:00 PM and midnight, Monday - Friday.

There's something wonderful about the people who make Pasta Palace a wonderfulchefs.jpg (14490 bytes) place to dine.

Just to give you an idea of the tantalizing cuisine, tempt your tastebuds with these two dishes; Lobster Fra Diavolo with Lobster sauteed in tomatoes, garlic, red chilies and brandy, served on a bed of Linguini, and homemade Spinach and Cheese Raviolis. These succulent dishes are topped with Sage Bullu and made fresh daily at the restaurant. Congratulations go to the executive Chef Daniel Pfeiffer, and Pasta Palace Chef Daniel Dolce. A special thanks goes to the very charming Jakie La Monte, the Pasta Palace Manager.

Joe Williams was one of the great jazz vocalists of our time and will be missed. There's a sad song in all of us who knew the wonderful person that was Joe Williams. A true humanitarian who made many people happy. His soul will always carry a song wherever it goes.

"Throughout his career, Jack Gibson was responsible for recruiting groups for Motown Records..."

JACK GIBSON, known as Jack the Rapper, who is responsible for discovering such talents as Little Richard, James Brown, and a host of others, is fighting cancer. Gibson, who was the first black to go on air on WERD (the first black owned station in Atlanta), has been known for his style of talk. Jack would take new talent and play their records. Throughout his career, Jack Gibson was responsible for recruiting groups for Motown Records. He then escalated his recruiting by starting rap conventions that brought in rap artists and talent of all kinds. That’s where Jack the Rapper got his biggest notoriety. Nevertheless, we wish Jack Gibson the very best in his bout with cancer.

Left to Right: Jack Gibson, Vonnie Hilton Sweeney (standing) and Elsie Gibson.

EVEL KNIEVEL is hosting a national daredevil show on the UPN network entitled, "I Dare You, the Ultimate Challenge". Although things are looking respectfully better for Evel, the man who got one of the highest ratings on ABC Wide World of Sports when he jumped Caesars Palace, he has to endure a lot of pain. Evel has Hepatitis C, one of the most deadly diseases of today. He has to inject himself in the stomach with 9,000 units of interferon each week.

Las Vegas"It’s like having the worse case of flu, buckling your legs. You get headaches and nausea that sometimes is unbearable." According to Evel, every-one should get a checkup for Hepatitis C, as failing to do so could cost them their lives within five years, if not detected early. There is no cure for Hepatitis C as of this date; however, interferon puts this disease in remission.

STERLING MC PHERSON, perhaps the most charismatic manager in boxing, may very well be the next promoter of boxing events in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Sterling recently took a step forward in matrimony to Tracy Story. Michael Dokes, Francois Botha, Lenny Williams and many boxing trainers and referees attended his wedding held at Mountain Top. The reception at the Four Seasons Hotel was a remarkable evening, especially listening to Lenny Williams.

Las Vegas Cedric Cushner, HBO Main Events, and Murad Muhammad teamed up to put on an excellent fight promotion together at the Hard Rock. Welterweight Sugar Shane Mosley (33-0, 31 KOs), proved he is a champion early in the fight by knocking out the ex-IBF Lightweight Willy Wise (24-6-4, 7 KOs). The semi-main event was with Vernon Forest (30-0, 25 KOs), the NABF Welterweight champion and Vince Philips (40-4, 29 KOs), the former IBF Junior Welterweight champion. Philips lost to Forest in a decision.

Las Vegas "It doesn’t bother me how many promoters are involved in bringing a fight to Las Vegas, just as long as we can work together and promote boxing in a positive light," stated Cushner.

Las Vegas Other fighters who were present at the press conference last month were former WBC Featherweight champion Kevin Kelley, undefeated Heavyweight Charles Sheppard, Heavyweights Robert Davis and Talmadge Griffs, undefeated Featherweight Arauhie Archuleta, and Junior Middleweight contender Pat Coleman.

Las Vegas Congratulations NABA Super Featherweight Ernesto "Baby" Zepeda for knocking out Ernest Koffi (33-8, 32 KOs) in the fifth round. Club fights, which are held at The Orleans and promoted by Momentum Enterprises, have sold out audiences.

PAULIE AYALA (29-1, 12 KOs), voted fighter of the year by Ring Magazine, is proud of his win last year against Johnny Tapia. The WBA Bantemweight champion is looking forward to a tough fight with the European champion, Johnny Bredahl (45-1, 23 KOs) on March 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. On the same card, Butterbean will spice things up a bit and Nestor Garza (37-1, 29 KOs), the WBA Super Bantamweight champion, will defend his title against Danny Romero (36-3-1, 31 KOs).

OSCAR DE LA HOYA has gone ahead with his acting career, as well as singing. Reports have it that De La Hoya laid off for the month of December and is now in training in Big Bear, where he also has a home and private gym.

Las VegasDe La Hoya will fight Daryl Colby on February 26 in Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, should Oscar win this fight, and most everyone agrees he will, Felix Trinidad has been offered $20 million for a rematch with De La Hoya at Mandalay Bay.

CHUCK HOUSE, who appeared on the Las VegaN Report airing on Mondays at 1 AM on Warner Brothers 21 (12 on Cox Cable), is one of the top trainers in the boxing arena. House has worked with Kenny Adams and has young fighters in training at Nevada Partners, a Las Vegas gym managed by referee Richard Steel.

Las Vegas"There is no vacation for fighters," says House. "Fighters should train year-round. Dedication is the name of the game along with talent," concludes House.

VINCE PHILIPS, the former IBF Junior Welterweight champion, Freddie Norwood, the two-time WBA Featherweight champion and Chico Carrales, the IBF Junior Lightweight champion, along with NBA Lightweight champion Lonnie Smith, are some of the champions Kenny Adams has trained, assisted by Chuck House.

Vernon Forest and Vince Philips.

Shane Mosley and Peter Allman.

Ernesto Zepeda defends title against Ernest Koffi.

People Magazine voted Bob Anderson, "the best singing impressionist in America." Anderson, who travels throughout Europe, appears at the Starlight mini-showroom at The Desert Inn quite often. Anderson has appeared on many television shows and has received the greatest reviews from fellow entertainers such as Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton and Merv Griffin. He envisions Las Vegas returning to the star policy, especially with some of the lounge showrooms.

Las VegasRemember a song entitled Blue Jean Baby, which was the number one hit in the nation in 1957? Norman Kaye, who was known as Little Norman, wrote that song. Norman Kaye also wrote Drag Strip Baby, which was number three on the Billboard charts in 1958. A long-time resident of Las Vegas, Kaye and his sister, Mary Kaye of the Mary Kaye Trio, were inducted into the Legends Hall of Fame last year at the Tropicana. It looks as though Norman will return to singing when he participates in one of the largest rock ‘n roll concerts ever to be produced in Las Vegas.

Las VegasShelly Riggs, who has been promoting autograph signing with the likes of Sue Thompson, will brings the artists together for one big concert this year. You may remember some of Sue Thompson’s gold records such as Sad Movies, Norman, James Hold the Ladder Steady and Paper Tiger.

So, if you enjoy those oldies but goodies, keep your eyes and ears alert.

Life is Beautiful with The McGuire Sisters Enriching Lives

One can easily understand how the McGuire Sisters became so successful...

By Peter Allman

Life is beautiful for the McGuire Sisters as they continue to enrich people’s lives. Their new CD entitled ‘Anthology’ has 50 great classics, some of which were associated with motion pictures. ‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ a song from Fred Astaire’s musical ‘Daddy Long Legs,’ was number 5.

Both Astaire and songwriter Johnny Mercer were in the studio when the McGuire Sisters recorded this song. ‘Moonglow,’ the theme for the movie ‘Picnic,’ became number 13 on the charts, and ‘Delilah Jones’ became number 37. This song was based on the main title theme of the Frank Sinatra film, ‘The Man With the Golden Arm.’

Sitting with Phyllis McGuire in her home, one could easily reminisce about her career. In 1957, in particular, Phyllis, Christine and Dorothy discovered their most distinctive signature song ‘Sugartime.’ Producer Bob Thiele found this tune while in New Mexico working with Buddy Holly and the Cricketts. ‘Sugartime’ turned gold and had the word "sugar" sung 28 times in the 2-½ minute song. This novelty song remains popular even today.

One can easily understand how the McGuire Sisters became successful when you become familiar with their family teachings. They were brought up with strong family values in their hometown, Middleton, Ohio. Asa, their father, was a steelworker who enjoyed playing guitar. He would occasionally lead his daughters in sing-a-longs of the popular tunes of the day. Lillie McGuire, their mother, was an ordained minister who served as Pastor of the First Church of God in nearby Miamisburg. She had little use for secular music. The McGuire Sisters had a strong foundation in Evangelical singing.

With the new millennium approaching, many individuals are looking for positive changes. Phyllis McGuire answers by saying, "The turning of the century and the new millennium is going to be a bright light, in a new upbeat direction for all of us. I really believe that."

When walking around her home, there are pictures of memorable moments with such stars as Jack Benny, Steve Allen and George Burns, which bring only good times to think about. "It was not in our imagination that we would ever go to New York," Phyllis recalls. That’s where the McGuire Sisters began a long-time relationship with Arthur Godfrey.

"We didn’t even plan to be in show business," says Phyllis. "The fact that this happened so quickly, meeting all the stars, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, George Burns, Perry Como, and all these people that you were suddenly working with, that you didn’t even think at one point you would ever meet, is remarkable. This teaches me to never stop dreaming. Always have a dream. Always know that it can happen."

One of the recent highlights the McGuire Sisters will cherish is their performance at the Rylander Performing Arts Theater for Jimmy Carter’s 75th birthday. "It was just an unbelievable spiritual experience. I will never forget it," states Phyllis McGuire.

Las Vegas has been Phyllis’ home since 1964. Ms. McGuire is somewhat of an ambassador for Las Vegas. "We have a great community in Las Vegas. A fabulous Philharmonic and the Nevada Dance Ballet Theater group. We have wonderful theaters. There are more churches here, probably more per capita than any city in the United States. We’re 25 miles from Mt. Charleston, and in the other direction, we have Lake Mead. Our weather is beautiful year-round," she states.

So Las Vegas is not only a great community for everyone, but it has "a certain energy" as Phyllis puts it, that is unlike any city in the country. "I compare it many times with the energy that I felt with New York in the 60s. There’s a certain energy that is invigorating, and it never lets up."

In closing there are two interesting factors to consider. One is the balance we can achieve in our lives, and the other is Phyllis’ thought on mental attitude.

"I have reached a point in my life right now where I have an inner peace that I haven’t had in my whole life because I’ve been working a lot on going from within and thinking of light and what my thoughts are. Canceling negative thoughts. That brings me to these thoughts. We should be into abundance and not struggle. I think we manifest what we say. If we sit around and say, I’ve been struggling for so long and I just don’t know what’s going to happen next, that’s a negative. You’ll manifest that. So think abundance, joy, be up, think success, and happiness. That everything is good. That will change your position in life."

The McGuire Sisters are performing at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, January 6-9.

Celebrating 50 years in show business The McGuire Sisters will appear at The Orleans this month.

"It took dedication and perseverance to reach the plateau she has now reached..."

 Las Vegan Corinna Jones, 1992 Playboy Playmate of the Year, is almost finished with her new film, "The Road Home." Corinna co-wrote the script with Drew Johnson and both agree this is a coming of age love story.

"It’s about real people in Las Vegas outside of the glitz and glamour," states the gentle heartthrob of America. John Saxon, Mirisol Nichols, John Phil-bin and Cory Paige star in "The Road Home" with Corinna Jones.

The talented actress, who hosted a segment of Lounges of Las Vegas in the Las VegaN Report, said it took dedication and perseverance to reach the plateau she has now reached. "When you first start out in this business, you learn very quickly to separate fact from fiction. There were a lot of things besides the money I made. I learned a lot about myself, travel etiquette, public relations, and I learned to be outgoing."

Corinna Jones, however, didn’t know that as an ambassador for Playboy that she would some-times end up counseling businessmen. "I felt as if I was, in a sense, a counselor in some cases. More often, I was an ambassador of the Playboy Club. Overall, I want to thank Hugh Hefner for being the wonderful human being that he is. He is kind and very understanding."

Legends Hall of Fame

Engelbert Humperdinck has sold over one million records. His induction into the Legends Hall of Fame, and his introduction by Robert Goulet and Steve Rossi at the Tropicana was another mark of Las Vegas history. Although Enge, as his friends call him, had to cancel his concert at the Monte Carlo, you can expect a return engagement.

Humperdinck isn’t a loud, aggressive individual. He’s quiet, enjoys golf and the coastline in Mexico. He does, however, enjoy creating. "At night, before I go to sleep, I take my ideas and put them on tape. Then, when I awaken, I can write the song," states the legendary vocalist.

Frank Marino, who impersonates Joan Rivers in An Evening At La Cage at the Riviera, was also inducted into the Legends Hall of Fame, along with the late Juliet Prowse and Paul Endy.

Soapstarworld.com

Kristoff St. John, who does an excellent job with his character Neal on The Young and The Restless, is taking full advantage of the number one rated show on television. He’s in the planning stages of producing a talk show on soaps behind the scenes. In the meantime, the talented actor guest stars on vari-ous sitcoms. You can reach him on his web site at www.soapstarworld.com. Kristoff, who participated in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, said this is the time of the year when everyone should be in the spirit of giving. When asked what was one of his ultimate goals, he commented, "Producing. I love producing and directing. Calling the shots. It gives you a full feeling of accomplishment."

Unfinished Business

The Unfinished Business, as it was named last month, on November 13 between Evander Holy-field and Lennox Lewis, was just that, as Holyfield put it. Holyfield (36-4-1) took his loss to Lennox Lewis with ease. "Of course, I’m surprised," he said. "We’re all surprised by the decisions man makes, but I wasn’t judging. I was fighting, and that’s all I can do," said the former World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion.

"I definitely wanted to win," said Lewis, who already had the World Boxing Council belt and was a 2-1 betting favorite. "I didn’t want to disappoint all my fans and not bring all the belts home to England. This is my goal, this is my dream." Although this is the first time in 100 years that a British fighter has held the unified title of this century, British fans weren’t all in agreement with Lewis winning the decision.

"Lewis was a bit lazy compared to his last fight with Holyfield," said one boxing executive. What, then, really happened? Could Lennox Lewis have been scared at Holyfield’s quickness? There were no doubts as to Holyfield’s aggressiveness and his scoring on the inside of Lewis. Apar