1999-2010

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Who killed Danny Gans? Who cares?


There was a private funeral for Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans yesterday, and the Las Vegas media did not cover it. In fact, the only mention of the service to be found in the Vegas newspapers this morning is an item in Norm Clarke's gossip column in the Review-Journal. Even that story, picked up by local newscasts) doesn't tell where the funeral took place or who attended, and leaves other very obvious stones unturned:

"Danny Gans' family and friends gathered early Tuesday for a small, private funeral at an undisclosed Palm cemetery.

"Gans, 52, was found dead at his home early Friday.

"The cause of death did not show up in the autopsy, according to the Clark County coroner's office. Results from toxicology tests typically take weeks..."

"Gans, the headliner at the Encore hotel for 12 weeks, had reunited with Steve Wynn, who had signed him to an eight-year deal at The Mirage in 2000..."


Close to a week after Gans' sudden and shocking death in the prime of his life at his home in Henderson, there has been no journalistic investigation by the local Las Vegas media as to what may have killed this controversial, health-obsessed showman.

Yes, police have announced they do not suspect foul play-- but they continue to investigate.


Meanwhile, local media, along with national gossip and infotainment organizations, have embarrassed themselves with their lack of curiosity and instinct concerning one of the biggest stories to hit Las Vegas in a decade, filling space and airtime by collecting prefab quotes of eulogy from every lounge act performer who'd had the most tangential encounter with the mysterious, Christianity-cloaked musical impressionist-- with one newscaster going as far as to refer to the schmaltzy showman as a "religious leader."

The questions and issues that remain unanswered and ignored:

* Whispers and speculation among Vegas show business insiders that Gans had used steroids or other supplements as part of his body-building regimen;

* Earlier stories that Gans was unhappy about sluggish ticket sales, and his boss Steve Wynn's decision to book huge stars like Beyonce into his theatre at the Encore hotel;

* Claims that Gans had been phone-texting a local former beauty queen-turned TV entertainment reporter in the days before his death;

* The alleged four a.m. phone call from Gans' manager to the beauty queen-turned TV entertainment reporter, informing her of Gans' death only minutes after Gans' wife had called paramedics;

* Questions why that reporter didn't use her connections to the Gans family and organization to report on the funeral for her station, KVBC;

* Still waiting for firsthand accounts from paramedics who attended to Gans or any witnesses to the scene at his home in Henderson.


The way the story is being ignored, we can expect that weeks from now, when toxicology reports are released from the Clark County coroner, the cause of death will be listed as "heart attack" and the book will be closed on the death of Danny Gans.

For now, a lazy, corrupt news media can be blamed for the coverup.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

interesting that reporter and pageant judge Alicia Jacobs was also the first to see nude photos of Carrie Prejean and is a major player in that story. wonder if she talked to Gans about it.

Anonymous said...

WHY aren't there more news outlets covering this mysterious death? DO you think the corrupt Chip Lightman had enough 'hush' money for everyone from the paramedics to the coroners office? I THINK SO!

You don't die at a "healthy" 52...

Keep digging....