Danny Gans coverage tale of the tape: Tabloid Baby vs. Las Vegas Review-Journal

Earlier we listed the stories the Las Vegas-Review Journal has published about the mysterious death of Strip superstar Danny Gans. We reprint the list, followed by a listing of the stories Tabloid Baby has posted since receiving word that Danny Gans had died suddenly and mysteriously at age 52.

If you lived in Las Vegas and were looking for information on the top story in town, which source would you seek out?

Las Vegas Review-Journal:
May 01: Las Vegas entertainer, 52, dies at home;
foul play not suspected
May 01: Entertainers, celebrities offer memories of Gans
May 02: 'HE CAN'T BE REPLACED'
May 02: DANNY GANS: CELEBRITY MEMORIES
May 02: NORM: Gans' final act leaves mystery
May 03: NORM: Gans has final word in life story
May 04: NORM: Gans friends share feelings, memories
May 06: NORM: Mourners gather for Gans' funeral
May 08: NORM: Gans service to be invitation only
(contains retraction of May 02 story)
May 08: EDITORIAL: Danny Gans
May 10: NORM: Heart problems in Gans' family
May 14: NORM: Insurance issue
May 14: MIKE WEATHERFORD: Gans was 'down in the dumps'
before death
May 14: Coroner awaits facts to reveal cause of Gans' death

TabloidBaby.com:
May 1: Danny Gans
May 1: Remembering Danny Gans
May 1: What killed Danny Gans?
May 1: Danny: What happened?
May 1: Danny, we hardly knew ye
May 1: Curse of The Mirage?
May 2: Photos: The house where Danny Gans died
May 3: Encore website presents touching tribute
to Danny Gans-- but where are the investigative reporters
looking into the facts of his early demise?
May 3: Robin Leach on Danny Gans: "Rumors are rampant"
May 3: "Four a.m. phone call": The woman who was
first to be notified of Danny Gans' death
May 4: Danny Gans texted special friend before death
May 4: Saint Danny Gans? Las Vegas newscaster
refers to late entertainer as "religious leader,"
perhaps explaining lack of investigation by local news media
May 6: Who killed Danny Gans? Who cares?
May 6: Danny Gans sidebar: Sig Gissler can kiss our ass!
May 7: Las Vegas newspaper makes book deal
with Danny Gans' manager and family
May 7: Las Vegas journo: Tabloid Baby coverage
of Danny Gans mystery is "beneath contempt"
May 7: What are they hiding? Las Vegas journo Steve Friess
calls us "a**holes" for asking questions about
the mysterious death of Danny Gans
May 7: Danny Gans' manager Chip Lightman and Steve Wynn
book big stars into his theatre
May 8: The curtain falls on an instant myth:
Danny Gans didn't really close his last show
with eerie, prescient Bobby Darin number
May 8: Libel suit? Las Vegas writer Steve Friess
continues attacks on TabloidBaby.com
for pursuing leads in death of Danny Gans
May 8: Exclusive: Alicia Jacobs speaks to Tabloid Baby
about the life and death of her close friend Danny Gans
May 9: All of a sudden, friends say Danny Gans
had high blood pressure and a history
of heart problems in his family
May 9: The Danny Gans daisy chain:
Steve and Chip and Alicia and Norm and Miles and--
May 10: Please send us a nice photo of Steve Friess
May 10: Danny Gans item: Las Vegas journo's cry for help?
May 10: "Something clearly doesn't smell right":
Ray Richmond of The Hollywood Reporter
writes about "Danny Gans death mystery"
May 11: "Health rumors swirl": Las Vegas media
play catch-up in Danny Gans death mystery
May 11: Finally, the Danny Gans mystery is on the national Radar
May 12: Why was Danny Gans planning his obituary?
May 13: John Birch Society honors Danny Gans
May 13: EXCLUSIVE: Las Vegas Review-Journal won't publish
what it knows about the death of Danny Gans
May 14: Did we force their hand? Las Vegas Review-Journal
goes with two Danny Gans items
May 14: Under scrutiny, Las Vegas Review-Journal
publishes a third story on the Danny Gans case
May 15: Two weeks after the death of Danny Gans,
Las Vegas writer Steven Friess admits he knew
of steroid rumors, confesses to covering up death theories
May 15: Las Vegas writer Steve Friess comes clean,
tries to explain his involvement in sick spreading
of “false rumors” about the death of Danny Gans
May 16: The Las Vegas columnist who suggested
Danny Gans used "supplements" continues to avoid
the subject but returns to the story to crown Gans' successor
May 16: Why no follow-up on the "insurance issue involving
Danny Gans and his deal with Encore at Wynn Las Vegas"?
May 17: The invitation to Danny Gans' memorial
May 17: Danny Gans' final golfing partner was one
of many evangelist pastors surrounding
the Born Again Christian whose father was a Jew
May 18: Coroner says Danny Gans death verdict "still pending”
May 18: Alicia Jacobs' poignant farewell to her friend Danny Gans
May 19: Coroner's office reports great interest
in Danny Gans death mystery--
but not from the local Las Vegas news media
May 19: Major tour group is still selling Danny Gans
May 19: Danny Gans coverage tale of the tape:
Tabloid Baby vs. Las Vegas Review-Journal
May 20: ????

"Anonymous plagiarizing gnats!" Las Vegas Review-Journal editor takes potshot at Tabloid Baby after we clean his paper's clock in Danny Gans coverage

The editor of The Las Vegas Review-Journal has lashed out at TabloidBaby.com after this site exposed his newspaper's lax and cowardly coverage of the Danny Gans death mystery.

Thomas Mitchell (above left), the mustachioed, hard-blogging boss at the Las Vegas paper that did not win a Pulitzer Prize this year, wrote on his blog forum in response to a query from our own publicist and occasional contributor Sam Peters (above right):

"Mr. Mitchell...
have you seen the Danny Gans coverage
on the site TabloidBaby.com?
They compared their coverage to the RJ.
Think they're going too far? Not far enough?"

Mitchell replied:

"Sam: Anonymous plagiarizing gnats.
Never saw it before. Stole our photos
and text without the courtesy
of proper linking."

Whoa! Hold on there, pardner! Them's fightin' words!

While we hand it to Tom Mitchell for responding to the question, we've got to take issue with the "plagiarizing gnats" dig, and not only because referring to this site as "gnats" indicates that the flailing Review-Journal is a journalistic giant being nettled by a tiny insect, when in fact it's being beaten to the punch by a topnotch competitor.

But let's get one thing straight, buckaroo: TabloidBaby.com has not "plagiarized" a word. We've got a multifaceted role here of critiquing the news media coverage of the story, satirizing the buffoons and breaking news on our own. In doing so, we've quoted from papers and news sites including the Review-Journal-- but in every case have linked to the original story, cited the source and even included photos of the authors. "Linking" to other sites and stories has been a hallmark of TabloidBaby.com since its inception a decade ago.



Says Sam Peters:

"On the point of plagiarism, Tom Mitchell is full of... beans. Malarkey! He oughta be a real cowboy and apologize for that one!"

As to the photos we allegedly "stole," TabloidBaby.com has indeed attributed many photos, with the exception of standard publicity shots of Gans onstage (and in the case of Las Vegas comp queen-blogger Steve Friess, even removed photos at his request).

Although we do have the right to post any news-related photos (including one showing Steve Friess in bed with the executive producer of KVBC-TV News, colleague of the controversial beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs) under the fair use sections of copyright law, we've also gone out of our way to accommodate anyone who's complained, and we'll begin attributing all photos when possible.

Responds Sam Peters: "Stealing? Every story has links to the sources. The mainstream media steals from TabloidBaby! Tom Mitchell ought to temper his words."

Thomas Mitchell & Sam Peters, without hats

Inaccurate though his words may be, we understand Tom Mitchell's motivation. Newspapers across the country are in dire straits because of "gnats" like us, beating the lazy, entrenched old school journos at what was their own game. Tom Mitchell knows that TabloidBaby.com has been cleaning the Review-Journal's clock on the Danny Gans story.

Heck, yesterday we cited the Review-Journal's Norm Clarke for the Whoopi Goldberg story. This morning, he copied our "Curse of The Encore Theatre" angle (which we first reported the day of Danny Gans' death)-- with nary a whit of attribution.

On May 19, we posted a "Tale of The Tape," comparing the number of Danny Gans stories posted here and published in the Review-Journal in the days since his mysterious death at the age of 52 on May 1st.

Here is an update:

Las Vegas Review Journal:
May 21: Jacobs' visibility triggers questions of perception
May 21: Mike Weatherford column on free memorial invites to fans
May 21: NORM: Fans to pay tribute at Gans memorial
May 22: Memorial service reveals real Danny Gans
May 22: NORM: Family never knew of any health woe
May 23: NORM: Emergency halts Whoopi's show

TabloidBaby.com:
May 20: Danny Gans memorial plans revealed
May 20: The New York Times runs a condescending feature
on Danny Gans and gets it wrong about "hyperventilating bloggers"
May 20: Twelve weeks? Still no word on the cause
of Danny Gans' death; If the Coroner takes a year,
will the Las Vegas news media simply wait?
May 20: Question for the New York Times: What bloggers

"are swapping dark speculations about depression"

in Danny Gans case?
May 20: Las Vegas writer Steve Friess finds it "strange"
that ordinary folk are being invited to Danny Gans' memorial
May 21: Danny Gans memorial at 3 pm today
May 21: Locals play catch-up: Las Vegas newspaper

slams Alicia Jacobs for her"reverse bias"

in reporting the Danny Gans death case
May 21: Gans memorial will go on with no answers
about what caused his untimely death at 52;
Vegas journos waste column inches questioning public invites
May 21: 3 pm: The curtain falls for Danny Gans
May 21: Tears & smiles at memorial for Danny Gans
May 22: Danny Gans' son says family knew of no health problems
May 22: The program for Danny Gans' memorial
May 22: The show goes on: Whoopi Goldberg moves into
Danny Gans' theatre tonight
May 22: Who will be the new Danny Gans?
May 22: Coroner still has no word on what killed Danny Gans
as the Las Vegas death mystery enters its fourth week
May 23: The curse of the Encore? Whoopi Goldberg walks off
during first show in the theatre since the death of Danny Gans
May 24: "Anonymous plagiarizing gnats!"
Las Vegas Review-Journal editor takes potshot
at Tabloid Baby after we clean his paper's clock
in Danny Gans coverage

Tom Mitchell photos: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Media's coverage of Michael Jackson's death exposes the failures and corruption of the Las Vegas news media in covering the death of Danny Gans

“In New York and Los Angeles, when a major star
drops dead of unknown causes, there is a repulsive
ritual that takes place. A certain breed of journalist
will begin a vigil outside the deceased’s residence,
will rifle through their trash, will bribe all sorts of people
for all sorts of reasons and will call up anyone and
everyone even questionably related to the person for
even the most unlikely comment.

“In Las Vegas, when left to our own devices,
we do things a little differently.”

--Steve Friess, Las Vegas Weekly

Someone asked us about the parallels between the deaths of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. We're more interested in the parallels between the news media's respeonse to the deaths of Jacko and Danny Gans (who imitated Jacko in his show): the biggest star in the world (consummate showman and Christian), and the biggest star in Las Vegas (consummate showman and Christian).

The actions of public officials and the Fourth Estate in each case reveal a stark contrast in transparency and fulfillment of responsibility:

Michael Jackson, genius performer, dead at 50.
Danny Gans, genius performer, dead at 52.
Michael Jackson, found not breathing at home in his bed
Danny Gans, found not breathing at home in his bed.
Michael Jackson, pulled to the floor for CPR as a 911 dispatcher gives instructions.
Danny Gans, pulled to the floor for CPR as a 911 dispatcher gives instructions.
Prescription drugs are immediately suspected as the cause of Michel Jackson's death.
Prescription drugs are immediately suspected as the cause of Danny Gans's death.
Police say they want to speak to Michael Jackson’s many doctors immediately.
Police do not seek out Danny Gans’ many doctors.
Police impound the car of one of Michael Jackson’s doctors in search of drug evidence.
Police allow Danny Gans’ wife to gather “all of her husband’s medications” for them to examine.
The world media swarms onto the Michael Jackson story.
The Las Vegas media tiptoes around the Danny Gans story.
Michael Jackson’s “secret” dependence on prescription drugs is immediately laid bare by journalists and their editors, who can finally publish what they’ve known for years.
Danny Gans’ “secret” dependence on prescription drugs is immediately covered up by journalists and their editors, who decline to publish what they’ve known for years or to investigate further.
Michael Jackson’s family members, friends, doctors and colleagues say they knew about his drug problems, but were helpless to save him.
Danny Gans’ friends and colleagues lie about him and claim ignorance, and the gullible and cynical local media print and broadcast what they know is not true.
Respected publications like The New York Times and Los Angeles Times go with major front-page splashes on Michael Jackson’s death, with details about his final hours and many sidebars about his secret life and speculation about what killed him.
Publications like the Las Vegas Review-Journal publish major front-page splashes on Danny Gans’ death, but report only the information that was handed to them.
The Michael Jackson 911 tape is released immediately and analyzed by police, journalists and the public.
The Danny Gans 911 tape is kept under wraps.
Journalists investigate the actions of the paramedics who treated Michael Jackson and get immediate answers, erasing any mystery.
Las Vegas journalists go with the official statements, with one (who is a stringer for The New York Times) stating that it is improper to “harass” the paramedics who attended to Danny Gans, adding to more mystery.
Police and the coroner hold a press conference in which journalists ask many obvious questions about Michael Jackson’s habits and cause of death.
Police, the coroner and Danny Gans’ boss Steve Wynn issue terse statements regarding Danny Gans’ death.
Police and the coroner answer all of the questions they can in the case of Michael Jackson.
Local journalists ask no questions at all in the case of Danny Gans.

Newspapers and media cover every aspect of Michael Jackson’s life, art, influence and legacy, filling column inches for days with fascinating detail about the troubled superstar.
Local newspapers and media get reactions from people like Carrot Top and run out of Danny Gans coverage in a day and a half.
Newspapers and media offer forums for fans to vent their grief and confusion over Michael Jackson.
Las Vegas media outlets censor any correspondence criticizing their performance, publishing only letters that demand the Danny Gans details be kept private.
The coroner says it will take four to six weeks for the toxicological report to reveal exactly what killed Michael Jackson, but with all bases covered and all secrets laid out, there will be no shock or mystery when the details come out.
The coroner says it will take as long as six weeks for the toxicological report to reveal exactly what killed Danny Gans, and the local media close their notebooks and walk away, claiming they are helpless to report or publish any of the easily-verifiable information about the superstar until the government official hands them his statement. When the coroner’s report turns out to be a politically-parsed, incomplete, confusing explanation that only deepens the mystery, the local media whine for a day and then drop the story.
In the Michael Jackson case, members of the news media show what they do best, clearing away mystery, cutting through the spin and laying out the unpleasant truth.
In the Danny Gans case, members of the local news media reveal their corruption, adding to the mystery, clouding the truth and holding back what they know to be true.
Fans understand that the great Michael Jackson was only human and love him only more.
Fans wonder if the great Danny Gans they loved was actually a fraud, and their perception of him darkens amid the coverup.
Revealed as myth and man—thanks to the news media-- Michael Jackson’s legacy is burnished.
Transformed from man to mystery—thanks to the local news media-- Danny Gans’ legacy is tarnished.

Yes, in Las Vegas, when left to their own devices, they do things a little differently. But is the public or the subject well-served by their fear to offend? It seems that the responsible and aggressive coverage of the newspack in the Michael Jackson case puts the lie to Steve Friess' excuses and proves there's a big difference between Reporting 101 and bribery. What do you think? And can you think of other contrasts in the case? Add your own!

COMING SOON: Analysis of the Danny Gans 911 tape and investigator’s report... They closed the case after this??

The New York Times runs a condescending feature on Danny Gans and gets it wrong about "hyperventilating bloggers"

"...Although the Clark County Coroner’s Office
has yet to reveal the cause of death
of one Daniel Davies Gans,
hyperventilating bloggers continue to swap
dark speculations about depression, and on and on..."

The New York Times, which ran an obituary for the Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans after his death on May 1, runs with a feature story today on Gans' influence in Las Vegas, before and after his death.

The bippityboppity, bemused, finger-snapping Vegas riffing by writer Dan Barry begins with a wink to hipster New York Times readers by placing Danny Gans squarely in the square, C-level strata of show business losers--

"The dozens of framed photographs that once lined the backstage walls are stacked now on the floor. Danny Gans with Kevin Costner. Danny Gans with Sly Stallone. Danny Gans with Florence Henderson. Danny Gans with Morey Amsterdam. So many celebrities, all wearing that camera-ready grin... Danny Gans, a man famous for not being all that famous..."

--and carries on its condescending, smirking tone before touching on the reality of what his passing at age 52 means to the city and his loved ones:

"He also leaves his wife and three children; more than a dozen employees in need of work; a darkened casino theater in need of acts; and a surreal city struggling with the reality of a hit to its economy and psyche.

"It may seem strange that one man — an impressionist, of all people — could have such an impact, but you have to understand the loss in Vegas terms. This wasn’t just anybody who died; this was Danny Gans.

"The city fairly shouted his name, from massive billboards, from the tops of hundreds of taxis, from the lips of all those cabdrivers and casino workers he courted over the years. When visitors asked what’s a good show to see, 10-to-1 the cabbie would say, Danny Gans."

Dan Barry gets some of it wrong in Vegas's Man of Many Voice Falls Silent, spinning the false report that Danny Gans ended his last show with Bobby Darin's The Curtain Falls into something totally confusing ("Three weeks ago, Mr. Gans closed his show with his Apollo Theater tribute, which threw the band off a little because lately he had been ending by singing 'The Curtain Falls'..."), accepting as fact an apocryphal comment about nonexistent "hyperventilating bloggers swapping dark speculations about depression" (the only depression story was floated by Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review Journal), and in the end, glossing over the most interesting facts of the story in order to gloat over the image of Danny Gans as a show business freak in a story that's more performance piece than thought piece:

"Mr. Gans was a show business anomaly, with no movie or television career to speak of and a long-ago one-man show on Broadway that lasted a week. Still, when he died he was grossing $18 million a year as a sure bet to lure people into the casinos that hired him, which is what it’s all about..."

"Danny Gans soon became more famous in death than in life, as a familiar local story went international: How he turned to entertainment after an injury ended his baseball career; how Las Vegas allowed him to stop traveling; how he was a devout Christian and family man who raised millions for local charities.

"But this is Las Vegas. Although the Clark County Coroner’s Office has yet to reveal the cause of death of one Daniel Davies Gans, hyperventilating bloggers continue to swap dark speculations about depression, and on and on..."

"(Chip) Lightman, Mr. Gans’s manager, cringes at all the gossip and hollow sentiment... These days the manager is trying to find jobs for the band members, the sound and lighting crew, the theater ushers and others who depended on one man for a living. He is also working on getting the book and DVD out, which would be a good thing, because in less than three weeks that once-ubiquitous name has all but disappeared from the Strip."

Tellingly, the Gans feature was not written by the Times Las Vegas stringer Steve Friess, who severely damaged his credibility by participating in spreading false rumours about Gans' death in his effort to stonewall the investigation by this news team.

Unfortunately, in his effort to be cooler-than-thou and paint Las Vegas as a mentally retarded cultural backwater and Danny Gans as a bizarre subcultural entity, the New York Times reporter who did cover the story obviously didn't move much farther than the Encore Hotel for his quotes and observations, and came no closer to explaining why Vegas' own news media has exhibited such a lack of curiosity about the tragedy.

Fit to print? New York Times report on Danny Gans' death by Dilaudid is penned by compromised comp queen and cover-up conspirator Steve Friess

Eerie: Danny Gans with Elvis on his shoulder (and a monkey on his back?)

Despite the current taste for full disclosure of journalistic conflicts of interest, readers of the New York Times received no such disclaimer on page A22 of yesterday's paper when the report on the Clark County Nevada Coroner's controversial findings in the death of Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans came with the byline of Steve Friess.

Friess (right) is the Las Vegas freelance writer, author of the Gay Vegas guide and comp queen whose sexual relationship with a local television news producer led him to dangerous conflict of interest and clear ethical lapses in his attempts to derail the investigative reporting into Gans' unexplained death on May 1st, an untimely passing at age 52 that was revealed this week to be the result of an overdose of Dilaudid, also known as "drug store heroin."

Friess' cover-up attempt began after we wrote him a private email on May 6, asking why Las Vegas journalists were not covering the Gans story, and he responded with a public Internet posting, calling us "a**hole," "Perez Hilton wanna be" and "vermin," and accusing us of "Danny Gans hate," among other things.

Within days, in a post titled "The Danny Gans Daisy Chain: Steve and Chip and Alicia and Norm and Miles and--," we reported on a tangled web of interpersonal dealings among Las Vegas media figures, including the revelation that Friess shares a bed with Miles Smith, executive producer of KVBC TV news, colleague of beauty queen-turned-local TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs. Jacobs had gained notoriety as Danny Gans' close and personal friend for more than a dozen years.

She not only broke the story of Gans' death, but worked with Gans' manager to spin and obfsucate the facts in such an obvious manner that the Las Vegas Review-Journal TV columnist lambasted her for her "reverse bias." Steve Bornfeld wrote "there's a difference between professional relationships and personal friendships, especially one as strongly and publicly evident as Jacobs and Gans... it creates an appearance of potential bias -- viewers/readers wondering if a reporter-friend would conceal unflattering or damaging information."

"A.J.'s boundary-breaching closeness"


Today, in his Medialogy column titled "Except for Jacobs, TV stations play Gans news straight," Bornfeld again singles out Jacobs' career-damaging conflict of interest in reporting the coroner's slippery Dilaudid announcement:

"Efficient, yet elusive.

"Such was the level of coverage and nature of the story as the cause of Danny Gans' death was disclosed Tuesday, leaving local media to present question-riddled reports of a 'drug toxicity' reaction from the painkiller Dilaudid, the coroner refraining from terming it 'drug abuse.'

"And -- except for an Alicia Jacobs commentary with an Alice-through-the-looking-glass effect of seeming completely right while being thoroughly wrong -- coverage was responsible...

"Then there was A.J.

"Her statement on the 4 p.m. news, in part: 'I'm sure there will be much focus on the drugs in Danny's system, but it's important to remember that since his baseball days, Danny dealt with endless injuries. ... On a personal note, I hope we can go back to remembering the great man and the amazing entertainer and the wonderful friend that was Danny Gans.'

"That's the response of a personal confidant who should have been a detached observer, the modest leeway of familiarity she's granted as an entertainment reporter abused long ago.

"In case news reporters, unsatisfied with ending the story with this toxicology finding, investigate further, Jacobs nudges us toward Gans' injuries as justification for his use of Dilaudid. While that's a legit element of the story as stated by neutral reporters, from Jacobs it's clearly a request for compassion from a protective pal.

"Then she plants a big wet smooch on his memory that out-Mary Harts Mary Hart. Her 11 p.m. 'Stage 3' was essentially an encore...

"Jacobs' boundary-breaching closeness to Gans oddly inoculates her -- she's so known as his buddy that withholding a heartfelt tribute would flummox fans conditioned to consider the relationship acceptable, seeming like a friend's betrayal when it's actually a professional requirement.

"...Yes, she's on the showbiz beat where sympathy might seem harmless. But when soft features turn into hard news, credibility counts in every corner of this craft."

Jacobs' conflict of interest is taken into account by local viewers.

Tried to shut us down

Friess (left), who writes for a national audience who may not be up on the local towel-snapping scandals of which he's part, should have recused himself from the story as soon as he admitted on May 15th that he was involved in sending us false information about Gans' death in effort to discredit our news team and throw us off the scent. (He also took action to shut down TabloidBaby.com after we posted his photo. We have since been forced to rely on reasonable facsimiles.)

Instead, it's the Steve Friess byline that appears on a story that is given the full authority of the New York Times. The story, of course, does not mention that the coroner refused to address what other drugs Danny Gans may have had in his system, pointedly refused to answer our question of possible steroid abuse, and arranges the words in a way that, like Alicia Jacobs, excuses the use of the powerful opiate in the name of sports injury:

The New York Times
Nevada: Entertainer's Death Is Ruled Accidental

"The Clark County coroner, Mike Murphy, ruled that the death of the popular impressionist Danny Gans, left, on May 1 was an accident brought on by a toxic level of the pain killer hydromorphone, which led to heart failure. Mr. Murphy refused to characterize the death as a drug overdose or disclose the level of hydromorphone, marketed as Dilaudid, in Mr. Gans’s system. Mr. Gans’s manager, Chip Lightman, said that he was unaware Mr. Gans, 52, was taking Dilaudid, but that Mr. Gans had shoulder surgery early this year before opening at the Encore Las Vegas resort and had follow-up surgery in March to remove scar tissue. Mr. Lightman previously told reporters that Mr. Gans had a family history of heart disease and for many years had been on medication for high blood pressure. Mr. Gans became a widely celebrated mimic known for his George Burns impression after his minor-league baseball career was cut short by a foot injury. He was prone to other injuries as well, canceling hundreds of performances over the course of his 13-year headlining career on the Strip because of shoulder, back and knee surgeries."

There have been many reasons suggested for Friess' involvement in the Danny Gans death, from the mundane-- Alicia Jacobs is supporter of same sex marriage and was the "celebrity" guest at his unofficial second marriage to Miles Smith at the Palms Hotel-- to his allegiance to Gans' employer, casino magnate Steve Wynn.

Friess picked up the Gans story on his own Vegas-boosting website on Tuesday and spoke as an authority on at least one radio station without mentioning his embarrassing missteps.

He did not post again until late this afternoon when he wrote about Englebert Humperdinck.

That Darn Norm

Then there's Norm Clarke, the colorful, nationally-known Las Vegas Review-Journal gossip columnist who has printed much of Jacobs' and Friess' planted stories that led the public farther from the truth about the life and death of Danny Gans.


In the days leading up to the coroner's hastily-called and carefully-worded news conference, Norm had been in Washington D.C, merrily Twittering his every move, from meals to exhibits at the Smithsonian.

His pure joy at reporting gossip and his evident innocence in the cover-up planning was exhibited in his Wednesday column about Danny Gans, when, hours after we drew the comparison, he guilelessly put a most sunny, even excited spin on the news that Gans had overdosed on drug store heroin:

NORM: Presley and gans linked by Dilaudid

"Danny Gans and Elvis Presley had something else in common, besides dying young.

"Both entertainers were linked after their deaths with Dilaudid, a highly addictive opiate nicknamed 'drug store heroin.'

"...According to numerous published reports, Dilaudid, said to be two to eight times more potent than morphine, was Elvis' favorite drug.

"Gans, a vocal impressionist, included a karate-kicking overweight Elvis among his spoofs of musical greats.

"Gans, a Las Vegas headliner since 1996, was 52.

"Elvis was 42 when he died Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tenn."

Viva Las Vegas...

Danny Gans photo: Ralph Fountain/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Despite spin from coroner and Las Vegas media, the sad truth remains: Danny Gans died from using Dilaudid, the opiate favored by Elvis & Anna Nicole

Las Vegas Sun

Impressionist Danny Gans’ death was accidental and the cause
was hydromorphone toxicity due to chronic pain syndrome,
Coroner Mike Murphy announced this afternoon.
Hydromorphone is a synthetic opiate
more commonly known as Dilaudid.

--Las Vegas Review-Journal

Danny Gans was a superstar. Danny Gans was a family man. Danny Gans was an athlete. Danny Gans was an exemplar of Born Again Christian values that were part of his official biography and a major art of his appeal. Danny Gans was the wholesome, corporate clean standard bearer of Las Vegas Nevada, a resort destination known the world over as "Sin City."

Whatever pain and human frailties this man endured, he realized he had to endure in private. And after he died, unexpectedly, unexplainedly, on May 1st, in his home, the media in his town kept his secrets, deciding to not report about the prescription drugs found by paramedics in the room where his body was found, the rumours of steroid use that were rampant throughout entertainment circles, or any hint of human weakness.

So the long-delayed announcement today by coroner Mike Murphy that Danny Gans died because of "hydromorphone toxicity due to chronic pain syndrome," the phrasing was deliberate, the language was perfected to Clintonesque perfection to disguise the sad reality:

Danny Gans died from the use of Dilaudid, hydromorphone, an opiate narcotic used to treat severe chronic pain, the drug a favorite drug of Elvis Presley, and a drug he took on the day he died, as well as the drug favored by Anna Nicole Smith.

Two reporters for The Las Vegas Review Journal reported on the death this morning with a lead that reflected the whitewashing, tone favored by editor Tom "McCloud" Mitchell, but a second line that was a journo's demand for clarity:

"Impressionist Danny Gans’ death was accidental and the cause was hydromorphone toxicity due to chronic pain syndrome, Coroner Mike Murphy announced this afternoon.

"Hydromorphone is a synthetic opiate more commonly known as Dilaudid."

At his press conference Tuesday, the coroner was Danny Gans' greatest defender, insisting, "This was not drug abuse. What I’m trying to be clear about is, we have an issue involving Mr. Gans’ health and the hydromorphone, and as a result of a combination of those issues, Mr. Gans succumbed to his health condition.”

Mike Weatherford and Brian Haynes summarized his findings in the Review-Journal:

"Dilaudid was 'a factor in exacerbating those risks' of his pre-existing conditions, hypertensive cardiovascular disease and polycythemia, a thickening of the red blood cells often described as 'the opposite of anemia.'"

They added, pointedly:

"Dilaudid's analgesic potency is from two to eight times that of morphine, but it is shorter-acting and produces more sedation than morphine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration."

The coroner would not report what other drugs were found in Gans' body. “We are trying to respect (the Gans family's) privacy and treat them appropriately as we deal with all families... They’ve been very good to work with.”

Sadly, it is Chip Lightman, Gans' manager, who led the charge to protect his client's reputation through these six weeks of mystery, who for once is left without spin, flailing and asking if his client was on the powerful narcotic because of shoulder surgery in November.

“Could they have given him that during his recovery? I don’t know where he would have gotten (Dilaudid) from but from his doctor, that’s all I could figure.”

Where did Danny Gans get the Dilaudid?

Did he have a prescription for the drug?

Why, if Danny Gans had a heart condition, would he be prescribed a drug that could lead to a heart attack?

Was this really "accidental"?

How could Las Vegas' symbol of clean-living Christianity fall to the same toxicity that brought down Elvis and Anna Nicole?

With the coroner's conclusions, the story of the death of Danny Gans is only beginning to unfold...

The curtain falls on an instant myth: Danny Gans didn't really close his last show with eerie, prescient Bobby Darin number

In the week since the untimely death of Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans, not a question has been raised by the Las Vegas news media about the exact circumstances of his death, or the factors in his life that may have led to it, Yet while the news pros, from Pulitzer Prize winners to Gay Guide writers, have sat obediently to wait the next press release, much has been done from that first (and last) news to burnish Gans’ myth.

As it turns out, the first has turned out to be untrue.

On Saturday, May 2nd Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke write a column, Gans’ final act leaves mystery, which included quotes from Gans' manager Chip Lightman and focused on an almost spiritual moment in Gans’ last show:

"Something didn't feel right to Lightman.

"Looking back, 'that was the scariest thing,' Lightman said Friday, still in shock hours after the death of Gans at age 52.

"A creature of habit, Gans rarely ended with 'The Curtain Falls,' Bobby Darin's favorite closer.

"Through most of his thousands of shows as a 13-year Las Vegas headliner, Gans preferred ending with 'Apollo,' which featured snippets of songs by Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles and others.

"No one will ever know for certain, but just maybe Gans knew something was amiss and sent a message through Darin's curtain closer at the Encore theater.

"… Near the end of Friday's walk-through to capture photo snippets of Gans' backstage life, Lightman brought up the mystery of 'The Curtain Falls.'

"It was one of many why's that didn't make sense to Gans' longtime friend and manager.

"I offered a theory.

"Maybe Gans' switch to 'The Final Curtain' was hinting about his health by channeling Darin for the finale.

"Darin had a meteoric run before dying of heart-related problems at the age of 37 in 1973."

This morning, Norm Clarke retracted the story:

“Allow me to correct something here: On Saturday in this space, I misstated that Gans closed his final show on April 29 with 'The Curtain Falls,' the signature close of legendary entertainer Bobby Darin, who died in 1973 at age 37.

“Gans closed with 'Apollo,' the medley he had ended his show with for years…

“During our interview May 1, the day Gans died, Lightman had noted a delay occurred in the curtain closing, which I mistakenly wrote down as a reference to Darin's ‘Curtain’ closing.

“Gans had performed ‘Curtain’ during his 12 weeks at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore hotel, Lightman said.

“And he said Gans, in his upcoming book that he finished April 29, ended the manuscript with the final words to 'Curtain.'"

Norm Clarke revealed yesterday the publisher of his own newspaper had entered into a deal with Lightman and the Gans family to publish that Danny Gans autobiography. The fact that we at Tabloid Baby have received readers complaints this week that the Darin story was untrue has led others to suspect Clarke and Lightman are in fact writing or completing that “autobiography” as we speak.

Interesting that The Encore website used a clip of Danny Gans singing The Curtain Falls as a tribute after his death.

In any case, add that bit of misinformation that's been spreading around the world for the past week to the Danny Gans mystery, and place your bets on how long the Danny Gans posters, billboards and taxi cab placards will remain in and around Las Vegas.

(The May 21 memorial to Danny Gans is by invitation only. The Gans family asks that cards be sent to Danny Gans Family, c/o Encore Hotel, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Instead of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to Danny Gans' favorite charities, the Junior Golf Academy and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.)

The Las Vegas columnist who suggested Danny Gans used "supplements" continues to avoid the subject but returns to the story to crown Gans' successor

Of all the journalists in Las Vegas, entertainment columnist John Katsilometes of the Sun held out the greatest hope as the one who'd take an inquisitive, hardboiled look into the mysterious death of Strip headliner Danny Gans. Katsilometes' column, written hours after the announcement that the musical impressionist had died mysteriously of a stopped heart at the age of 52, was an unblinking appreciation of the artist as well as an unfiltered assessment of Gans' reputation and what could have killed him.

"Danny Gans was a gifted, unique figure in Las Vegas entertainment history" also portrayed Danny Gans as:

"a man I honestly did not know well. Few did, I feel...
"so corny...
"everyone, and no one... benignly pleasant... unfailingly nice, but I was always ready for him to slip into the cloak of someone else...
"fiercely protective of his image -- especially as it pertained to his value as an entertainer...
"a consummate entertainer, even as he appealed to the great mean. He was also a solid citizen, a born-again Christian who was always said to have lived a Christian existence."

Katsilometes also revealed Gans to be a man who "protected his voice to the point where he would spend entire days not talking, writing notes and using hand movements to communicate with his family," and stated that though "he was said to be an egg-white-favoring health nut... Gans’ physical appearance started to seem unnatural, his bulk suggesting the use of supplements."

"And he was not always Mr. Sunshine, either. Gans could be biting when dealing with his contemporaries... A couple of years ago, I asked him for comment about fellow impressionist Gordie Brown, who had just opened at The Venetian. Any advice for Gordie? I asked Gans. Through a spokeswoman, he replied: 'My advice to Gordie is to do something unique and different that the Strip has never seen before. For example, while doing his trademark Garry Shandling impression, have a sad clown walk by while three midgets on pogo sticks juggle pink French poodles on a high wire. I’d also change the name of his show to Cirque du Gordie.'

"I tried to reach Brown, now at the Golden Nugget, today for comment about Gans’ death. Nothing."

Katsilometes was alone among Las Vegas journalists in writing something approaching criticism of Gans, and with his suggestion that he had used "supplements" promised to push closer to something of an understanding of what may have happened before the release of a delayed and potentially sullied "official" toxicology report.

But after that piece, he went silent on the story. Katsilometes ignored our emails (we contacted his editor saying we were trying to get in touch) and moved onto other subjects, despite the speculation that increased as we continued our reportage.

And today, more than a fortnight on (inside joke), Katsilometes writes about Danny Gans. Well, he steps around the story of Danny Gans with a piece about musical impressionist Gordie Brown, the Gans competitor whom he reported was the target of Gans' dark side.

It seems that Gordie Brown is preparing a tribute to Danny Gans in his act, a song that is so touching it makes him cry every time he sings it:
"The moment arrives without warning, and it surfaces whenever the mood strikes Gordie Brown. But there is a point in his show at the Golden Nugget when he speaks of the late Danny Gans, softly saying that Gans will be terribly missed and was one of the true pioneers among Las Vegas entertainers. Then Brown’s voice shifts to its power gear and sings the Louis Armstrong favored by Gans, 'What a Wonderful World'...

"There is no pattern, and the improv-embracing Brown had actually lopped the number from his routine until returning it to the stage on May 1, the day Gans died. Also on that day, Brown crafted a song he plans to dedicate to Gans titled 'Live Today.' He’s working on the tune on an acoustic guitar now and plans to teach it to his backing band at Golden Nugget. Brown isn’t sure when he’ll be confident enough to unveil the song, which he describes as a positive message of what can be learned through tragedy, in public. 'I can’t get through it without crying, he says."
Katsilometes offers Brown a chance to explain why he didn't join the chorus of praise after Gans' death:
"'When this happened, I felt it was the family’s place, and I didn’t want media publicity or anything like that,' Brown said. 'It’s the saddest thing in the world. I just wanted to have him, his family, manager and friends start to get through it.'"
Brown professes his "deep respect" for Danny Gans. And in the process, appears to offer himself in Katsilometes' column as the next-best thing.

Katsilometes repeats the news that "a celebration of Gans’ life is set for the Encore Theater on Thursday but is invitation-only and not open to the public. Many of the Strip’s top headliners are expected to attend."

Somewhere there is a story between the lines, but it doesn't bring us any closer to understanding who Danny Gans was or what could have led to his death.

There are no Danny Gans stories in today's (or yesterday's) Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Tabloid Baby's 2009 Mystery of The Year

What ever happened
to Down Charleston Blvd?

The Las Vegas-based website operated for several months with a concentration on show reviews and other entertainment-related stories. And then, in May, it began covering the death of local superstar Danny Gans, despite an agreement by other journalists and news organizations in town that the untimely, unexplained, suspicious demise of the biggest name in town at the age of 52 wasn't news. As Las Vegas was swarmed with rumours and chatter that the mainstream sources studiously ignored, the anonymous workers at Down Charleston Blvd brought them forward, asked questions and pursued the leads. Down Charleston Blvd went farther than any other media organization, even bringing up the whispers that Gans may have been murdered.

And then on June 16, the site ran an item entitled More on Danny Gans Overdose-- and went dead. Never heard from again. Our email correspondence with the editor ended in a string of unanswered emails. That final posting remains online, a monument and, perhaps, a warning.

If Danny Gans did not die for our sins, Down Charleston Blvd very well may have.

Here it that final post in its entirety:

More On Danny Gans’ Overdose
Posted on June 16, 2009 by downcharlestonblvd

Before we get into the details and news let me say a few things.

Since news broke about what killed Danny Gans we have received some more information from our sources, plus we gained more sources who are now willing to divulge certain details they know being that the word is out that Gans used drugs. With the details we know, the information that has been provided to us, and what fact checking we could do, I will try to piece together exactly what we know at this point and answer some of the questions you have emailed, plus question we posed on our last update.

Contrary to what you may have heard or read in a certain Las Vegas newspaper; Hydromorphone is NOT a commonly prescribed drug here is Nevada. The only thing common about Hydromorphone here in Nevada is it’s availability on the streets, mostly in Las Vegas.


It’s powerful potency, high addiction possibility, and high price make it a a well sought drug here in Las Vegas (despite it’s high price) for those who want to take things to the next level. With all pain medication, you build up a resistance to it. All of the sudden 1-2 pills isn’t getting rid of the pain and/or giving you a high/euphoria. So you have to increase the amount you are taking to get the desired effect. The euphoria you get from prescription drugs in the opiate family is not like the buzz you would get from marijuana, alcohol, or other street drugs.

One of the many areas/topics I have covered as a journalist is drugs – whether prescribed or not.
I

t started with an article and essay (years ago) on the differences and trends between drug usage between lower income neighborhoods and higher income neighborhoods -or- if you will, between Ghettos and Suburbs. I’ve spent a lot of time with all kinds of users. I’ve went to and stayed in areas of Las Vegas that no other journalist has gone or will go. with that said, one of the best descriptions I have heard about using prescription pills in the opiate family is that the euphoric feeling is similar to being high on marijuana or having a beer buzz except you don’t have the negative affects. Meaning your have the high but you are still able to function and carry on with your normal life. The only difference is everything feels so much better. You are happy, excited, energetic, and feeling good all over. This is the exact reason why so many have become addicted from all walks of life. Most people would be absolutely shocked if they knew who abused prescription drugs.

Now, lets get down to details on what we know.

First and foremost, lets call it for what it really is – an overdose

Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy’s “Death was accidental” + “No signs of drug abuse” have little to no merit. Being that key details have not been released and will most likely never be released (Gans’ Family would have to authorize it) secondly, Murphy has been receiving a lot of skepticism and criticism from many in the medical community. Publicly and Privately medical professionals have sounded off on local televisions, newspapers, radio, and even privately calling Murphy’s results without merit, vague, and possibly incorrect. Some have privately questioned his experience and credentials based on his final results in the Death of Danny Gans.

Another physician that was feeling the burn was Gans’ physician Dr. Michael Fishell. Knowing his name was quickly circulating after the coroner’s results were released, Fishell knew people would put the pieces together and assume that he recently prescribed Danny Gans the drugs that ultimately killed him which would tarnish his business badly. He quickly spoke with the Review Journal making clear that the only time he prescribed Gans’ hydromorphone was 5 years ago, He went even further by accessing all of Gans’ records and found that none of Gans’ other physicians in California or Nevada had prescribed him hydromorphone.


This pretty much dismisses the possibility of a malpractice issue but this also verifies are report that a source had told us Gans did not have a prescription for hydromorphone.

Gans has been addicted to Hydromorphone for over 5 years

A reliable source tells us that Gans became addicted around the time he first received the prescription for hydromorphone. The source was unsure how often Gans took the pills initially, and did not know when dosages were upped. As stated above, to get the effect you have grown accustomed to, you eventually have to take more then before.

Our source said that they were not sure if Gans knew himself that asking for more prescriptions and/or going to other doctors would cause suspicion and possibly an investigation or if a close associate told him.

Our source did say that very few people knew Gans was even taking it, let alone continuing to take it for so long.

As far as other drugs – our source says that Gans’ did dabble with steroids on and off – which started way back in his baseball playing days.


He also used and tried various pain meds, typically in the synthetic opiate family. When he started using hydromorphone, he liked it so much that it was almost always what he took because it trumped all the other pain meds he took and tried.

How and Where did Gans get the dillies (hydromorphone)

Our source was not a 100% certain on this, but with compiled details from all of our sources there are two possibilities. One being a close trusted associate of Gans that he trusted and this associate relied on Gans for something, most likely income, and this person most likely did not associate with Gans’ other friends. The second possible and more likely person would be Gans’ manager Chip Lightman. It’s quite common for mangers to provide their clients with whatever they want, sometimes including drugs and women. It happens in Vegas a lot. I have seen it personally and I have been approached by out of town Managers and associates of high profile people asking where they can get this or that, usually offering to pay me for such information. Everyone’s heard “What Happens Here, Stays Here” but the motto amongst locals is “It’s all about who you know”

Chip Lightman has been called a lot of things by a lot of people.


Some in the local entertainment industry despise dealing with the man.


His reputation for being a “pain” is pretty widespread.


He’s been sued, Danny Gans Fired him, only to rehire him later, he’s been accused of propping Danny up way higher then he should have been, and one source told us “Chip is a lying, bloodsucking asshole, which really means he his skills as a manager are sharp but he is no one I’d want to ever be friends with” another source close to Gans told us on the topic of Chip Lightman – “Chip’s comments in the RJ since Danny died are phony” our source went on to say “Chip gives the impression that he is real close with Danny’s family but that is not entirely accurate, and his comment about being haunted by who gave Danny the pills shows he is a incompetent manager or a flat out liar”. Lightman’s comments since Gans death, as well as comments from so-called friends of Gans have drawn criticism and speculation that Lightman is still playing PR Guy even after his clients death and the so-called friends were obviously not very close since they had no idea that Gans was taking scripts. I’ve received far too many emails saying that the comments from Chip and Friends are only making Danny Gans look worse and they should just “Shut Up”

The Signs Gans was using

Our source pointed that when Gans would tell reporters and friends about taking a Tylenol or a Motrin that those were Gans; “code words” and in actuality he was referring to Dillies (hydromorphone)


Our source also noted “With all the injuries Danny suffered over the years and the constant wear and tear from his performances, he’d still continue to do active things like play golf and more then once he’d hurt himself, agitate a muscle, and he wouldn’t stress about it like he used to; He’d say I’ll take a Tylenol, I’ll take a Motrin and I’ll be better. That kind pain would not be fixed by no over the counter pain medicine, his confidence in being better by the next day or so was because he had Dilaud.

Is there anything to Dr. Michael Fishell’s speculation that Gans may have taken what was left of the prescription of hydromorphone/Dilaud he prescribed Gans in ‘04-’05?

Not likely, unless Gans had a good amount of pills left and took a lot of them all at once or within a very short period of time.
Dr. Fishell’s interview with the Review Journal showed how little he knew Danny Gans, which he wouldn’t be the first ‘friend’ on that list. Dr. Fishell saying he spoke because of rumors about Gans using is not the whole truth, he also spoke out for his own reputation as well. Anyone reading what he said to the RJ can clearly see that he is is denial.

What about Gans not using Dilaudid or other pain meds because of his voice being affected?

Nearly every person who said Gans wouldn’t of used pain meds because they would damage his voice were the same people who denied or had no idea that Gans even took pain meds. Can prescription medications damage your voice? Yes and No. I’ve heard loss of voice associated with many different types of prescriptions, not as much with pain meds. However it is possible, yet the several sources we have spoken with said that it may have been a concern of his but it didn’t stop him from using.

Now, there have been celebs who have abused pain meds before, some of these people rely heavily on their voice. Whether they are singers, rappers, or host a radio show – yet where is the loss in their voice?

Will Gans’ Family Ever Consent To Releasing The Report?

The chances of Gans’ family giving consent are extremely slim.


The chances would be higher if there was a doctor involved in prescribing the meds because the family would likely want justice for the doctor’s malpractice. From what we have gathered, giving consent to release the results would only further tarnish Gans’ image because it is likely it would show other drugs, perhaps alcohol (which can be fatal when combined with hydromorphone) or perhaps in some medical circles it would show Gans did have drug abuse problems.

it is certain the meds were prescribed, just not to Gans’ himself.


Now whether it was prescribed to someone close to Gans or someone he never knew, we may never know.

Is The Review Journal Covering Up The Gans Story?

A friend, and Review Journal Employee has informed me that the RJ has been extremely reluctant to talk about Gans. They want to story to be gone as soon as possible. As also reported by Tabloid Baby The Review Journal has gone out of it’s way to bury details, not report specific facts, and rarely ask questions. Now this is not the first time the Review Journal has buried stories or reported as little as possible.

Las Vegas is a very transient town so many residents here are unaware of the history of the Review Journal, and do not remember some of the issues that had many Las Vegan’s furious. What you wont hear about from the RJ is the many letters, emails, and comments they have received whether phoned in or posted on their website (and then deleted)


What are readers complaining about?


They want to know whats going on with the death of Danny Gans. Some readers practically begging for more coverage. Last Friday in their ‘Letters To The Editor Section” you see a headline criticizing the RJ for looking into a public figure aka Gans. At a quick glance it appears that all of the letters to the editor are about this, but in actuality it is only one letter. My friend/RJ Employee told me that they did that as a response to all the criticism they have received from readers and abroad as a way to somehow justify why they haven’t been doing their job.

With Danny Gans being propped up as this squeaky clean guy, evangelical christian, devoted family man… It has all now blown up and backfired.


On all levels, the general public feels it was all a sham. The sad thing is that if Gans truly did have an addiction problem he could have got help. Although our source said that they were not aware of Gans discussing his problem with anyone in his church or his family – some now speculate that he was too afraid that going to anyone or even going public would absolutely ruin him.

The public’s perception of Gans has turned dark. Whether he had a addiction problem or not, it is absolutely clear that he should not have taken hydromorphone. He left behind a wife and a child – some have called it “Selfish”, “Cowardly” and just plain “Stupid” – Words I thought I’d never see describing Danny Gans.

Alan (a DCB Reader) from here in Las Vegas wrote in an email to us

“Shame and Embarrassment is what Gans would have got if he had been open about his problem, he may have lost a lot but even so, it’s much better then dying and leaving your family behind to pick up those awfully jagged pieces”

Story of The Year:
The Death of Danny Gans
Journalist of The Year:
Steve Freiss
Top Trend:
Dying