Where's Jerry? Read the MDA press release

WORLD’S TOP TELETHON EMBRACES SHORTER FORMAT
TO INCREASE AUDIENCE AND INCOME

TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2010 – The Muscular Dystrophy Association today announced an important change to its perennial Labor Day Telethon, which for 45 years has galvanized tremendous public support for MDA’s lifesaving mission. The Association will shave more than 15 hours off its previous 21½-hour Telethon format. The move is central to a strategy to increase audience for and income from its 2011 Labor Day telecast. The 2010 Telethon raised $58.9 million.

“Ever since pioneering the Telethon as a fundraising, education and sponsor-recognition program, MDA has enjoyed unparalleled support from television and cable stations across America,” said Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA president & CEO and Telethon executive producer. “Our ‘Love Network’ of some 170 stations annually helps us reach an audience of some 40 million Americans. The stations’ efforts, and those of our national, regional and local sponsors, have been truly outstanding.

“What we’re doing now has amazing potential,” Weinberg added. “The shorter format means every hour of our show will be in the extended prime-time window of 6 p.m. to midnight in every time zone. This means our live, or tape-delayed Sunday broadcast with live local segments, will be even more attractive to stations that otherwise primarily would be running repeats from last season. The talent we’ll be attracting will be even bigger, since every moment of our prime-time show will have a tremendous audience.”

With its unrivaled Telethon track record, the Association could very well experience a net gain in total markets reached by its venerable show in 2011. There are more than 1,200 television stations serving communities across America, and it should be much easier for stations to clear six broadcast hours for proven live programming, than it has been to clear nearly two days of programming for the Telethon.

Weinberg explained, “The combination of buzz surrounding the new MDA Labor Day Telethon, and the tremendous good will that stations, on-air personalities and sponsors have consistently enjoyed by partnering with MDA, are a powerful combination. That’s why we’re so optimistic about the new show’s ability to increase audience reached and income in 2011.”

“There’s nothing like our Telethon,” noted Lee Miller, longtime Telethon producer. “In 2010, some 65 top acts performed, including some amazing production numbers by Tyce Diorio of “So You Think You Can Dance” as well as top Broadway and Las Vegas show segments. Our 2011 prime-time focus should make it easier to fill every moment of the show with the best headline entertainment.”

Rich MDA Telethon History

Over the years, countless megastars have appeared on the Telethon to help families affected by muscular dystrophy. And the surprise Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis reunion organized by Frank Sinatra still is one of the 10 best television moments of all time.

The who’s who of historical MDA Telethon appearances by contemporary stars includes: Jerry Seinfeld, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Adam Sandler, Nigel Lythgoe, Nancy O’Dell, Donald Trump, Neil Patrick Harris, Larry King, Jimmy Fallon, William Shatner, Alison Sweeney, Wayne Brady, Drew Carey, Regis Philbin, Dr. Phil, Howie Mandel, Jason Alexander, Jann Carl, Woody Harrelson, Billy Crystal, Alan Alda, Tom Arnold, Terry Fator, Carrot Top, Martha Stewart, Bill Cosby and Don Francisco of “Sabado Gigante.”

Consider contemporary musical acts, too, and it’s easy to see why the MDA Telethon is so much a part of Americana. The Telethon audience has enjoyed Celine Dion, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Clint Black, Cher, David Archuleta, John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Train, Aretha Franklin, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Elton John, Wynnona Judd, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Paul McCartney, Mindy McCready, John Mellencamp, Reba McEntire, Carlos Santana, LeAnn Rimes, Tom Petty, Dolly Parton, Sugarland, Spice Girls, Stevie Wonder, Donny and Marie Osmond, Clay Aiken, Chicago, KISS, Jon Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Tracy Lawrence, Billy Ray Cyrus, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers and the Rolling Stones. Even the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, performed on the MDA Telethon.

About MDA

The Muscular Dystrophy Association pioneered cause-related marketing decades ago, and annually orchestrates thousands of special events in communities across America with the help of outstanding local, multiregional and national sponsors. The first organization with a national Telethon, MDA also is the first nonprofit to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association (“for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity”).

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.

Tabloid Baby's 2009 Story of The Year

The Death of Danny Gans

The tragic, sudden death of Las Vegas Strip headliner Danny Gans in his bed on May 1st would seem to have closed the book on an unlikely, inspirational, only-in-America success story of a would-be Major League ballplayer who fell back on his natural charm and talents as an impressionist to become the biggest star in the entertainment capital’s history. The fact that Gans had supposedly finished his autobiography the day before he died, combined with the mystery surrounding the death of this sturdy, clean-living family man and the stubborn, bizarre refusal of the Las Vegas news media to investigate the police blotter incident meant that the story was only beginning to get underway.

Danny Gans was an enigma in Las Vegas, a Born Again Christian who shunned his fellow entertainers and was involved with an evangelical megachurch on the edge of town. He was an athlete and avid golfer whose history of physical injuries and missed shows led to whispers of steroid and painkiller abuse. He had just recently begun a residency at the new Wynn Encore resort in a theatre said to be “cursed” by failure.

Yet, after paramedics arrived to find Danny Gans lifeless in his bedroom, the Las Vegas news media—as a group—showed little interest in the story. They dutifully copied the paramedic and police reports, took quotes from Gans’ manager and fellow celebs, and, amid shock and surprise that Danny Gans would go anywhere near a drug, waited for the coroner’s report. When the coroner finally tiptoed around the conclusion that Gans had died due to an overdose of the powerful opiate hydromorphone (aka "drugstore heroin"), the news was reported, one local paper printed a doctor’s suggestion that he had swallowed a single, out-of-date tablet and the promised in-depth coverage never materialized. In subsequent months, news that Gans was part owner of a pharmacy, and that the pharmacy manufactured an erection pill and marketed it with the promise it would make the user “F*** like a pornstar” still failed to pique the curiosity or a responsibility of the Las Vegas news media.

As facts dribbled out, the official story slowly morphed into something new. The entertainer who would never go near a drug only took the drugs he was prescribed If he was on steroids, it was to help his ravaged vocal cords. If his company sold a porn-promising erection pill, he didn't know about it.

Chip Lightman in The Las Vegas Sun, 12.23.09

Most recently, Gans’ manager spoke with the Las Vegas Sun and contradicted the official version of Gans’ death that the news media had accepted as gospel. Chip Lightman claimed that he had been phoned by Gans’ wife Julie at 3:15 a.m. on May 1st— a half hour before she dialed 911— and that she told him Gans had been dead "a couple of hours.”

We don’t expect the Las Vegas news media to find this latest twist newsworthy either.

We do see the Danny Gans story as the great, unexamined story of 2009, one that encompasses show business, corporate America, religion, sports, Las Vegas’ economic woes, the casino industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the justice system, hypocricy— and the sad state of American journalism.

By our count, Tabloid Baby has posted 137 Danny Gans-related stories.

Journalist of The Year:
Steve Freiss
Mystery of The Year:
What ever happened to Down Charleston Blvd?
Top Trend:
Dying

Las Vegas Sun finally reports week-old Danny Gans pharmacy story: Reporter claims Alicia Jacobs snatched her scoop!

While the Las Vegas Review-Journal continues to keep a conspicuous distance from covering the drug death of Strip headliner Danny Gans and its aftermath, its putative competitor, the Las Vegas Sun, has finally reported news from early last week that the entertainer who died from an overdose of Dilaudid was a part-owner of a pharmacy.

The coverage however, comes in the blog section of its website.

Dana Gentry, a local television reporter and executive producer local cable television shows Face to Face and In Business Las Vegas, reports the story, this afternoon, as well as posting the 2003 letter confirming Gans' stake in the drug business.

Gentry also claims she had the scoop a week ago, but that it was snatched away the following day by a competitor: Danny Gans close personal friend, the beauty-queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter, Alicia Jacobs, who "reluctantly" asked the tough question.

Gentry reports:

Gans owned pharmacy
By Dana Gentry · August 24, 2009 · 3:46 PM

Danny Gans’ friends and family maintained that the late entertainer had little use personally for prescription drugs, though his death in May was from an overdose of Dilaudid, (the generic is Hydromorphone) a painkiller. The source of the drug that killed Gans has not been identified.

Now the Board of Pharmacy is investigating Gans’ ownership interest in Green Valley Med, a distributor of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to doctors. Documents we obtained from the state reveal Gans had held a stake in the local pharmacy since 2003. The pharmacy board took Gans’ records from Green Valley Med in June, but will not reveal the nature of the documents seized. Green Valley Med bills itself on its website as the "largest medical supplier in Southern Nevada.'

We wanted to know if it carries Dilaudid. Owner Scot Silber seemed stunned last Monday when I asked about his business relationship with Gans. Silber confirmed the two were partners but wouldn’t say whether Green Valley Med carries Dilaudid. Coincidentally, the very next day Gans’ self-described friend, Channel 3 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs, detailed Gans’ ownership interest and reluctantly delved into the possibility that Gans obtained the lethal drug through that association.

Attorney Bob Massi, who represents Green Valley Med and doubles as its marketing director, declined to be interviewed but in an e-mail said, "The perception that is being portrayed of Danny Gans is disgusting. He was a great man, an ambassador to Las Vegas, and he is being smeared by an affiliation which was and has been a matter of public record."

You can see the story tonight on In Business Las Vegas, Las Vegas ONE, Cox Cable Channel 19.

(click photo to enlarge it)

Gans to Jacko to Murray: Las Vegas news media hometeam drop the ball again

Interesting to see this morning that once again the Las Vegas print media is not exactly providing blanket coverage of its most far-reaching news story of the day. The police investigation into celebrity drug addiction and the issuing of fraudulent prescriptions is the biggest of its kind, is receiving international coverage and is centered on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, where investigators searched the offices of Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.

One Los Angeles detective only hinted at the scope of the scandal when he said:

"It’s long been suspected that friendly doctors have been enabling celebrities in Hollywood to feed their habits. However, the real extent of what’s been going on is truly shocking. We are uncovering a massive trade in fraudulent prescriptions.”

So where are the Las Vegas newsmen? The Las Vegas Sun is on its third day of covering prostitution at the Rio pool, The Review-Journal notes that Wynn resorts profits freefell 91 percent in the second quarter (the one during which his star attraction Danny Gans died), but they continue to shy away from the big embarrassments.

In fact, Vegas McCloud impersonator and Review-Journal editor Tom Mitchell has yet to assign a reporter to follow upon his gossip columnist's July 11th item about a local doctor aproached to provide drugs to Jacko:

"How widespread has the practice of doctor-shopping become in Las Vegas? Will the investigation into Jackson's prescription drug abuse lead back to the Las Vegas medical community, given Jackson spent a good deal of time here in recent years? Will the intense scrutiny uncover more leads in Danny Gans' drug-related death?

"Doctor-shopping 'has become very common'...

"The physician felt pressured to accommodate a VIP. He treated a high profile casino executive who wanted sleeping pills. A week later, the executive wanted a refill and a week after that he requested another refill 'and I said no'...

"The sad thing, he said, is that someone else filled the void. "'It's Elvis Presley all over again.'"

As we'd predicted, the Danny Gans story has become a watershed moment for the news media in Las Vegas. How long can they run? And what's their excuse this time?

(UPDATE: The Sun posted a brief story on the records seized from Dr. Murray on its website at 2:55 pm. The Review Journal ran five sentences at 3:12 pm.)

Las Vegas news media sat on their hands for 39 days and allowed coroner to create confusion in Danny Gans death case

The Las Vegas Review-Journal definitely got it wrong in the above headline about "the real Danny Gans."

The real Danny Gans died from taking Dilaudid, which is the trade name for Hydromorphone, a narcotic and an opiate which is eight times stronger than morphine and known on the streets as "drug store heroin."

Mike Murphy, the Clark County Coroner who announced the cause of Danny Gans' death, would not release the amount of the drug found in Gans' blood. He would not say whether Gans had a prescription for the painkiller. He would not release the name of Gans' physician. He did not use the word "overdose" because "overdose" is not an official medical term in describing the cause of death.

Danny Gans used the drug for "chronic pain syndrome." It's unlikely that the fatal dose of drug store heroin was his first.

It's very clear that statement by the coroner was crafted very carefully to satisfy many interests beyond Gans' family. Words were chosen to be arranged in order that they could not be proven inaccurate but by their very arrangement would confuse, misdirect and mislead.

It's also clear that some of the delay in announcing the cause of the death of Danny Gans was to allow more than five weeks to pass, and to allow bits of misinformation to take hold.


That Danny Gans may have been a hiding a drug problem is a sad, yet unsurprising story. Each of us has a public life, a private life-- and a secret life, no? In the case of a man whose unlikely success relied on an image of wholesomeness, athleticism, spirituality and Christianity, and who had connections to not only the corporate world but the lucrative business of "Born Again" evangelical Christianity, it's understandable that those around him and those who profited from him would try to protect his image in death.

What's inexcusable is that the local news media were party to the coverup.

The local news media allowed six weeks to pass without reporting what they knew about the secret life of Danny Gans, sitting on their hands and information for 39 days before going into make-up and catch-up mode, working to set the record straight-- when they know it will always remain clouded because of their deliberate inaction.

Book Deal

We reported on May 13th that sources within the newsroom of the Las Vegas Review-Journal suspected that Danny Gans' death was related to an addiction to painkillers. The Review-Journal did not report that, nor did they report any details of the circumstances of Gans' death beyond those released in a police statement and by Gans' manager Chip Lightman and his boss, Steve Wynn.

The paper's gossip columnist Norm Clarke did report on May 7th that the Review-Journal's publisher had made a deal with Gans' manager and family to publish his hagiographic "autobiography"-- and planning "a mid-May ad campaign to allow people to reserve copies." That would be one conflict of interest that might cause mustachioed cowboy editor Thomas Mitchell to pull back the reins on coverage.

Editors of the Las Vegas Sun, which outsiders might believe to be a competing newspaper but is owned by the Review-Journal's publisher and mainly an Internet entity, put an obvious hold on Gans coverage after its columnist John Katsilometes wrote on they day Gans died:

"Gans’ physical appearance started to seem unnatural, his bulk suggesting the use of supplements."

Katsilometes never wrote about the subject again, until Wednesday's paper, when writing about the coroner's news conference, he fairly exploded with what he had holding back for so many weeks:

"Officially, the explanation has been made public. But the discussion of Gans’ death likely won’t cease for some time, as observers remember his reputation for missing shows for somewhat unexplained reasons. One of the questions tossed out today was if any steroids were found in Gans’ system. Murphy responded that the only drugs identified were those who contributed to his death -- the painkillers. The questions will continue, the rumors probably won’t abate."

Ralph Fountain/Las Vegas Review Journal photo

Questions and Rumors

Had members of the local news media done their job-- reporting what the paramedics found at the scene of Gans' death, what Gans' associates, coworkers, friends and enemies had to say about his lifestyle, and what they actually knew about the facts of his life and death-- there might not be "questions" and "rumors" today.

To paraphrase one commenter on this site: Real reporters don't wait to get their answers from news conferences. They question why their bosses pull them off hot stories.

The sad details of Danny Gans' death are no longer our concern. The sordid doings of the evidently corrupt Las Vegas news media are, and we will follow up in the days to come, beginning with the media members who took action to shut down this site because we were asking questions about Gans' death.

Developing...

Death of Danny Gans leads some to question the existence of God

Does the death of Danny Gans
prove there is no God?

That is the latest question to arise from the mysterious demise of the clean-living, Born Again Christian who was the unlikely biggest star in the so-called "Sin City" before his heart stopped suddenly and, thus far, without explanation, on May 1st-- and it's just another fascinating thread in the story being ignored by the lamestream Las Vegas media, be it out of a misguided sense of respect to his family, under orders from casino magnates, plain old laziness in the baking heat of the desert oasis, or some other unexplained lapse in journalistic judgment.

"Christian blogger" Toni Denis points out the phenomenon on her Dove and Snake site this weekend:

“Gans, known to be a family man, died suddenly on May 1 from an unknown cause. I searched today to see if there was any update on what caused his early death at age 52, because it often takes at least a month for toxicology reports to be completed. Instead of getting any clarification, I discovered a debate on God raging on an entertainment blog.

“Apparently Gans was a born-again Christian who made his beliefs part of his act, something truly unique in a place like Las Vegas. The blog debates were with tinged a mixture of grief and anger, as well as contempt toward the religious who mentioned this fact…."

Indeed, dozens of people have begun an Internet debate on religion, Christianity, the afterlife and the very existence of God after Paula Neal Mooney wrote on her site:

“I feel sorry for Danny Gans’ wife and three children — I seriously pray they can be comforted right now thru their pain, in knowing that Danny Gans’ was a born-again Christian whose act was in line with his faith…”


A very condensed version of the debate follows (read the entire thread here):

carla tigner: I saw Danny Gans in his last performance Wed. night. I was so moved by his profession of his faith during his show in a town where most don’t believe in God. I was so moved that I prayed for him during the show. When my husband and I left all we could talk about was how great it was that a Godly man was using his gift for the glory of God. We were so sad when we woke up Friday morning to the news of his sudden death but we also knew he was in Heaven. Later we learned that was his last show and that he had read a passage of scripture before the show to his band and then prayed. They said he prayed before every show. I am so grateful and thankful God allowed me to see and experience this Godly man’s gift. We serve an awesome Savior, Jesus Christ and I am thankful for the witness Danny Gans was and will continue to be!

Deb: ok, didn’t know really about his faith in God, only when he spoke to Larry King he said he prayed with his wife about the move to LV. Then I read above, the media has not said anything about his faith. They always seems to leave some like that out, you know it might offend someone...

Diana Roberts: I’m sending my prayers and warm wishes to Danny Gans family… I am glad that he was so spiritual. I truly believe that God blessed him with all this talent…

Sam Pinterpe: if danny gans was such a good christian and god is so
wonderful, why did He end gans’ life at 52?

Sallie: Danny died because he was human; he accepted Christ as his savior and therefore has eternal life. I used to not understand faith and acceptance of tragedy, but now believe God does have a plan for us, but we are human. Illness, violence and death are human ventures... My point: I’m not a practicing Christian, but one could make the argument, why did God allow his own Son to be tortured on the cross 2000 years ago at the age of 32? But I think the point of Christianity—and all the great religions—is about eternal *spiritual* life. The time we have here is temporary… If Mr. Gans was truly a Christian, then he is—if you believe in the tenets of Christianity—in eternal life now and we are the unlucky ones.

Ron: You damn Christians are so naive and stupid, you’re all on a par with the Jihad idiots who believe they’ll get a slew of virgins in heaven after they implode themselves with a suicide bomb. Religion has been the root cause of EVERY major war that’s been fought on this planet. All religion and their gods are manmade fantasy and wishfull thinking, invented by primitive characters eons ago. Nobody wants to die permanently — but sadly we all do. And praying to Jesus Christ and accepting him as your “savior” isn’t going to make one damn bit of difference. Pray all you want … no one is listening. Face it — Jesus Christ is about as real as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy… Why is it so taboo in this day and age to shuck the final fairy tale — belief in an afterlife?


Theresa: To Ron:
 Obviously you’re not only an atheist, but you’re an UNEDUCATED atheist. While Jesus Christ may or may not by the “saviour,” he is a bit more “real” than the Easter bunny. You can read about the “man” in a little book called the “Bible.” 
Oh and as for Santa Claus, actually he DID exist. Our modern day Santa Claus has his roots in St. Nicolas who was a man who really did exist. He gave little children who were in need gifts. 
So, while you are more than entitled to believe in a supreme being or not I think you make yourself look like a moron by stating “with authority” that Jesus was as real as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny...

T.C.: Dito what Ron Said!!!!!

Paula Mooney: Luke 16:23-31

Jenaaa: Ron and TC - I feel sorry for you! I will be praying for you.

Ron: There may or may not have been a historical Jesus, but he never proclaimed himself to be the “Son of God” — his followers did that on his behalf. LONG after he was dead. If Jesus Christ was alive today, he would be SHOCKED that he was even remembered 2,000+ years after his death — let alone that he is being deified as the “Son of God”… Faith is BLIND, and opinions are like a$$holes — everybody’s got one. Ron: Jesus save me from the Christians!


Dominick: Ron, mmmmm, let me guess. You were educated at Cambridge, and read your doctoral dissertation on theological ambivalence in the post modern era, yes? And I’ll also bet that you were most certainly on the debate team, where you roundly trounced your opposition by calling them ‘morons’ and arguing that ‘opinions are like ashles, everyone’s got one’ also correct? 
Unfortunatley Ron, there are highly educated individiuals who have spent their entire professional careers struggling to come to terms for or against your position with serious, academic debate...

Bart: Praise the lord and pass the collection plate! MONEY is the answer to why anyone would want to continue the belief in the bible.

Ron: Right on… I have visions of the ghost of Tammy Faye months and months after her death standing on a cloud knocking on the gates of “heaven” still waiting for Jesus to open the door. “Hello, Jesus … are you there? It’s me,Tammy Faye. Hello, Jesus …. hello … hello???….”

Megan: How sad that some non-believers use a site dedicated to remembering a loving, moral, decent human being like Danny Gans to spew their vitriol… Danny deserves all the love and respect we have to offer him on this site. He was truly loved by all who knew him. He was a good man. Las Vegas was so blessed to have him among us.

Ron: Oh, is this discussion about Danny Gans? Seems he got lost in the shuffle. Get it? Vegas — shuffle — cards … Ha,ha. Knock Knock — Hello, Jesus — are you home? Knock, knock, knock … hello? Jesus — are you there??? Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock …

Carol: Ron, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is death.” Proverbs 14:12. Suggested reading: The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, a former aetheist; also, How Good is Good Enough? by Andy Stanley. You mention Tammy Faye Bakker. You don’t want to find out that she was right, and you were wrong…

Ron: ‘Scuze me — but there are umpteen hundred religions or more around the world that we know of. They all have their own gods and goddesses. Jesus is just one of many, so he needs to stand in line with the rest of them. Being right or wrong about the belief in an afterlife just shows the absurdity of faith. I repeat — FAITH IS BLIND!! NOBODY KNOWS what happens after death until they experience it for themselves. PERIOD.

BJ: you are all so lame.
DANG I wish I had caught a Danny Gans show when I had the chance!! so young… i’m sad for his fam

Carol: “Nobody knows what happens after death until they experience it for themselves. PERIOD.” Well, then it is too late, and then the choice one has made will have eternal consequences–eternal life or separation from God. He has given us a free will, so the choice is ours.

Ron: Yes that’s right, Carol. Nobody knows what happens after death until they experience it for themselves. That’s a friggin’ FACT! Nobody wants to die permanently, so primitive man made up a way for himself to be eternal. Gods and goddesses were created by ANCIENT man to explain away the things that he did not understand. SCIENCE is much more experienced in doing that…

Carrie: No use in arguing over religion! Religions are ALL based on faith, period. If you choose to believe in a higher power, believe and don’t care what others say…

Ron: Very well put. I had enough of that Catholic crap — mind CONtrol and obviously sexually frustrated priests and nuns, while attending years of parochial school myself. Go to hell because you ate meat on Friday? Puh-leeze — who determines that? The bishops, the cardinals,and the Pope?? Did Jesus say that? No more than he ever said that he was the son of God. His followers said that on his behalf AFTER he was dead. And another thing for you born again Christians out there. Where do you draw the line? Man is just a higher form of animal … so do your dogs, cats, pets, and the bugs you step on go to hell because they didn’t accept Christ as their saviour? Answer me that one.

Juicy: Ron, 
To answer your question about dogs, cats, pets and bugs… we as humans have a soul where they would not…

Kevin: First of all, there is no where in the bible that says that everyone who does not accept Christ will go to hell. What it does say is that those who reject Him will be rejected by Him. It also says that every man shall give account of himself to God... Oh, and by the way, Jesus Christ is the only one who foretold of His resurrection and followed through with it which is confirmed by over 500 eye witnesses at the time… Perhaps getting the name of God in the forefront is why Danny Gans died. God desires a relationship with His free will creation. Yes, He is sovereign and no, He doesnt do things our way and doesnt ask our opinion, but maybe Danny Gans died so Ron could begin a search for God and come to know Him…

alisa: I agree with Kevin. Danny’s death may be serving a higher purpose than his life. I was so fortunante to see Danny (live) and I was so moved by not only his talent but his mention of family and his faith in God. While a lot of men are putting fame and fortune first Danny put God and Family first and I believe that is why he was so blessed with a wonderful career and a great family. You can say why did God let him die so early but I can say wow he was so blessed to have accomplished all he did and have the opportunities that he did...

Daniel: …Back to the subject at hand. I have wanted to see Danny Gans for years but something always came up to not go. On Valentine’s Day I got married in Las Vegas and my new wife and I saw Danny Gans. Something I always wanted to do. I raved to everyone in my presence what a great performer he was and the excellent show he put on. Danny moved you emotionally with discussions of his family and his goal to be closer to him, his good fortune to be given his opportunity to entertain. He brought you up with the high energy songs he did, he made you laugh, he made you cry. To hear he passed away seems inconceivable. 
With apologies to Ron, who I’m sure I will offend by saying this horrible statement, I wish that God blesses Danny Gans and his family.

Ron: You see what a hot topic this is? It’s because there is no definitive solution or right or wrong in this back and forth debate… Rise from the dead after three days? Ask magician Criss Angel — he probably knows how it’s done. Criss Angel can walk on water too. In fact he mimics several Christ-like theatrics all the time, including ascending into the heavens.

Dana: Hey Ron, take a good look in a mirror. You are one ugly man… Such a direct contrast to Mr Gans and what his life stood for, what he believed and how he hoped to leave this world a better place. Who put you up to this blog? Why in the world would you even want to be a part of this? Are you sick of being so ugly? Maybe that is a good question for Danny and his God...

MJK: unfortunately, i tend to agree with the better part of what ron is writing here… what if ron’s right?... i think way more people are afraid of burning eternally in hell after they die than anything else, so to play it safe they accept jesus christ as their saviour … just in case.

Ron: That’s another thing you can THINK about. How can a “soul” burn eternally in hell? Is it noncombustible?


Paula Mooney: Ron, just please stop fighting God and pray. The Almighty will win in the end. Why even tempt finding out how a soul could burn eternally? Who would even want to risk that? Carol: Ron, I come in peace. Those of us who have posted regarding Christian beliefs aren’t doing so because we have to win an argument. We truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we have the right to defend our faith, just as you apparently feel the need to refute it…

Alisa: This is for Ron.. So you do believe in God since you say we all have a God given brain. That’s a start but you have a long way to go….IMAGINE how you will feel if you are wrong and you end up in a firey hell for eternity…

Ron: alisa, I said “God” given brain. Note the quotation marks. I don’t know if there’s a God, or a heaven, or a hell. NOBODY does. But analyzing the facts available and putting everything into its proper perspective, I’m more inclined to believe that there IS NO God or heaven or hell.

Steve: After reading every post, I agree with EVERYONE. You believe what you believe. Who cares what other people think?

Steve: And by the way, Danny Gans. What a great entertainer and great person. I saw him in Vegas and really enjoyed. He will be missed.

Mike: Internet religion debates, wow! A Man dies and everyone goes into a religion frenzy. This site was supposed to be centered around the death of Danny Gans, not who believes in God and who doesn’t. Simple fact, approximately 88% of America believes in God, 12% does not… Let it go already. As for Danny Gans, I saw his show last November and he was superb! He was a truly talented person and is a headliner on the Vegas strip who will be greatly missed!

Carol: Jesus is still the biggest mover and shaker of them all!!

Sue: If I might bring things back on track here. I regret not seeing Danny Gans when he was with us.

ME: Oh…BTW…let’s not forget the basis of this stream of chatting…GOD Bless Danny Gans’ soul and his family’s while they mourn their loss…

Tim: I have read all of these comments and find a stimulating debate that will never be resolved, but the reason I came to this site was in an effort to find out what was the cause of Danny Gans death. Has that been determined? He was a great entertainer and seemed to be a fine person. I saw his show twice and would have gone again. He was relatively young and supposed to be in good health. When will we know what happened?

Ron: I don’t know what happened to Danny Gans either. Perhaps he had some congenital defect all the time that finally took him out, like whatever happened to John Ritter and the little girl from the Poltergeist movies…

There you have it. This explosive turn in the aftermath of the song-and-dance man who one local newsreader referred to as "religious leader goes far beyond the more obvious issues ignored by Las Vegas Fourth Estate, including questions whether another apparently clean-living religious exemplar led a double life, the economic impact of his show closing, the conflict of interest inherent in the city’s newspapers’ deal to publish Gans’ official “autobiography,” or any of the numerous rumours that are the talk of Clark County.

Adds Toni Denis: “What I found interesting was the lack of an open mind on the part of the anti-religious. Certainly that's the easiest position to take, since faith is required of the other, but I wonder why it's so threatening to someone in this context, and why at least one poster thinks that belief is simply "fire insurance" for Hell. They are missing out on the bigger picture.”

Developing…

Congratulations! "Hooker for Jesus" Annie Lobert gets married (by Danny Gans' pastor in Danny Gans' church)

Congratulations to Tabloid Baby pal Annie Lobert, who got married last night.

Annie was a star of The Michael Lohan Reality Project produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures. She was the woman who comes to Michael Lohan's hotel room and refuses to sit on the bed with him (below).

Annie married a guy named Oz Fox, who's a guitarist with the Christian rock group, Stryper.


Annie is a former Las Vegas call girl who turned her life over to Jesus Christ and started the organization, Hookers for Jesus, which tries to save women from the sex and slave trades. Annie often goes into the streets of Vegas to minister directly to the hookers. She is also a terrific, emotional evangelizing public speaker and a really warm, nice person.

Annie and Oz were married at The Church at South Las Vegas by evangelizing minister Benny Perez.

Tabloid Baby readers will recognize the church and preacher from our Danny Gans coverage. The Church at South Las Vegas was Danny Gans' church and Benny Perez was one of Danny Gans' pastors.

DANNY GANS EXCLUSIVE: CLAMPDOWN AT THE CLARK COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE

Five weeks after the mysterious death of Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans, the Clark County Coroner's Office has suddenly clamped down on information regarding the toxicology reports that could finally explain what killed the musical impressionist.

The initial autopsy performed after the local superstar was found dead in his bed at the age of 52 proved inconclusive, and the coroner's office announced that tissue samples would be sent out for toxicology testing in order to determine how the heart of the seemingly robust entertainer suddenly gave out at the age of 52.

The coroner initially said the tests would take "several weeks" to come in. This was later amended to "up to 12 weeks," though everyone we spoke to at the coroner's office had insisted there was nothing unusual in the findings or the delay in receiving the toxicology test results.

Today, however, amid reports of steroid use and a report by a Gans' close friend, the beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs that the tests had been completed and were now awaiting a summarization for public consumption, all conversation has ceased and a spokeswoman told a TabloidBaby.com journalist just minutes ago:

"I cant give out any information."

"At this point we're not allowed to give out any information."

When asked about the veracity of last night's report by Jacobs, the spokeswoman said:

"I don't know anything about that. I don't know who that is."

The Associated Press this morning paraphrases coroner Mike Murphy saying that toxicology and microscopic reports have been submitted to a medical examiner, who still hasn't determined a cause or manner of death:

"Murphy says that ruling will be checked before being made public.. (in) two or three weeks... Murphy notes that police suspect no foul play, and says his medical examination isn't taking longer than usual."

The coroner's spokeswoman did say that Murphy is now deciding how to break the news when he's ready to share it with the public. She denied that Jacobs is being given an inside track on the story or that Jacobs will be given the results first in order to break the news with her own spin, as she has done since Gan's manager informed her at 4 a.m. on May 1st, minutes after paramedics had arrived at Gans home, that her close personal friend had passed away.

"I don't even know who she is," the spokeswoman insisted.

Danny Gans' final golfing partner was one of many evangelist pastors surrounding the Born Again Christian whose father was a Jew

With whom was Danny Gans golfing
on the day he died?

The story that the Las Vegas superstar was "down in the dumps the day he died"-- but not suicidal-- was the most significant of three stories reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday, the morning after TabloidBaby.com reported that the paper's editors were deliberately not publishing what they and their reporters knew about the sudden death of the musical impressionist at age 52.

Mike Weatherford's column identified Gans' golfing partner as "David Graham, a personal pastor and golf buddy to the late impressionist", "a former golf pro who founded Christian City Church on Las Vegas Boulevard."

Graham, as it turns out has been a Gans pal for years, and popped up on the links with Gans in a 2002 LA Times profile of Gans by Paul Brownfield.

Graham's bio appears not on the church site, but one for David M. Graham Ministries, Inc.:

"Prior to turning his life over to God, Graham was a successful business man owning a construction company with offices in several U.S. Cities as well as being a Professional Golfer on the PGA tour.

"After turning his life over to God Dr. Graham was on fire, earning a Bachelors Degree from Beulah University and both a Masters Degree and a PhD from Vision International. He is currently working on an MDiv degree from Southwestern University.

"Dr. Graham and his wife Melinda started an Over Comers Ministry in Georgia to help people with drug and alcohol addictions. The ministry became successful that members of the law Enforcement community would refer people to the ministry. The Over Comers Ministry is still going strong today.

"In 1999, Dr. Graham followed the call of God and packed up his wife and their daughter and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2000 Dr. Graham founded and became the Senior Pastor of Christian City Church Las Vegas. After being open for just over 2 years, the church was recognized by both City and State Official's for it rapid growth and work in the community.

"In 2007 Dr. Graham made a decision once again to follow the call that God had on his life and concentrate on Evangelism and teaching."

With evangelist Benny Perez of the Church at South Las Vegas and Rev. Gary Morefield of Green Valley Christian Center (who led a prayer meeting with Gans' band the day he died), Graham is the third man to be identified by local news media as "Gans' pastor."

According to Paul Brownfield's article, Gans' father, former Catskills drummer and comedian Sid Gans, was a Jew:

"Sid Gans can tell you the name of the player who stepped on his son's Achille's heel, ending his baseball career.

It was in the hospital after that incident that Danny Gans says he met a man in the next bed who... told Gans that 'God has another plan for you.'

"Since then, Gans has rededicated himself to the Lord. He calls himself a devout Christian, and forms a prayer circle with his band before each performance.

"Sid Gans is Jewish. He says he's happy that his son found spiritual guidance, but he isn't interested. 'They're pushin' me with the church business,' Sid Gans said of his family. 'Every two months I'd go to the church with them and I'd sit there aggravated.'"

TabloidBaby.com has learned that Mike Weatherford's column, which revealed that Gans was out playing golf on his final day, had been written more than a week before it was published into the paper's entertainment guide as opposed to being rushed into the "news hole" (the story's significance was demonstrated by its pickup by news outlets around the world).

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

It's been two weeks since Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans was pronounced dead in his home of still undetermined causes.

From the first we heard the news of the passing of this great, historically significant and unique entertainer, the Tabloid Baby team has pursued the story day after day, while being struck by the fact that Las Vegas journos didn't find the story worth pursuing beyond adulatory quotes from the likes of Carrot Top (Nothing against Carrot Top. We think he's cool and he makes us laugh). The official excuse was that there was no news to report until the officials released the official cause of death with the official toxicology report, since the official autopsy could not determine what caused this ox of a man's heart to stop at the age of 52.

The first solid clue there was something amiss came when we were attacked, threatened and insulted online by a character named Steve Friess (above & left), a local booster and comp queen who authored a book called Gay Vegas and writes for a number of national publications.

Friess' online hissyfit when he learned of our dogged pursuit of the Gans story was puzzling, until it was revealed that his conflicts of interest only began in his bed, which he shares with Alicia Jacobs' executive producer, and that this self-promoting freelancer exists at the pleasure of the casino kings to whom the words "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" are more than a catchphrase.

Well what a difference two weeks, or as he writes on his blog, a "fortnight," makes.

Today, Friess continues his name-calling:

"Some gay-obsessed lunatics -- well, he refers to himself in the plural, anyhow -- believes anything said about the matter at this stage is thanks to his 'vigilance.' I've since realized that Internet nutjobs will say and do what they wish regardless of accuracy, propriety or basic common sense and never back down even in the face of contrary evidence or reasoning..."

Friess goes through his usual motions: attacking RadarOnline, The National Enquirer and Perez Hilton for covering a story that he could have made a bundle on had not his freelance status been so compromised; denying there's "public appetite" for the story; insisting that "short of those tests being completed, there's not a lot for legit reporters to do."

But then Steve Friess (above left) does something more. While apologizing on behalf of the ones who tried to obfuscate the facts, he admits that he realizes a coverup took place. And while making excuses all along the way, he even slips up and admits he was part of it.

Most spectacularly, Steve Friess admits he has been covering up the story of the real Danny Gans for at least, well, at least... a "fortnight":

"...Gans' suspected steroid use has been out there for years."

He also prints the alternative theories that are out there, though carefully labeling them "bizarro":

"Danny Gans was (a) actually killed in a DUI hit-and-run; (b) was having an affair with a local news personality who has tried to get Mayor Oscar Goodman and Wayne Newton* and Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce (!?!) to help cover up Gans' actual cause of death or (c) committed suicide because Steve Wynn booked Whoopi and Beyonce..."

Read Friess' entire column here.  It is an incredible document of self-righteousness, delusion and ass-covering.  Bottom line: Everything Steve Friess denied, he now says he knew all along.

Real Journos

Meanwhile, real journalists, like the ones at The Las Vegas Review-Journal, responded professionally to our prodding. Insiders tell us they feel bound by "rules," and are hamstrung to do much before an official report is released.

But they admit our prodding has had an effect.  Mike Weatherford's chilling account of Danny Gans' depression on his final day was published after sitting around for more than a week. And Norm Clarke's hastily-added one-liner begs a followup:

"No one's willing to discuss it, but there's an insurance issue involving Danny Gans and his deal with Encore at Wynn Las Vegas that suggests Gans had concerns about his health."

Sure, they say we at TabloidBaby.com seem to be "obsessed" or even "insane." And there are those who'd try to lump Tabloid Baby with the new generation of bloggers who conjure fantasy and post whatever comes into their heads.

They're wrong.

Danny Gans was an Old School entertainer.  We're Old School journos.

This is the Old School talking.

Decades of newspaper and broadcast journalism experience. Contributors on four continents. Experienced two-finger typists who've taught a generation of journos to follow a good story where it leads.

Murder?

The case of Danny Gans should have been, and should be covered from all its angles. That's how important it is, and as uncomfortable and ad-revenue endangering some of those angles may be, those are the angles that manage to be covered up as time passes.

Was Danny Gans murdered in his bed? We'd not pose that question, but thanks to the wait-and-see attitude of the Las Vegas media, that story is floating around the Internet as we type.

Will the toxicological report close the book on the Danny Gans case?

Probably not, no matter what is revealed, because the ones who should be on the front line of finding  the truth are content to wait for an official report from a controversial coroner's office.  It's these paid professionals, sitting around their news meetings debating whether a story's worthy of coverage, who've allowed the story to spin out of control.

A Review-Journal reporter said it himself when he wrote the lede to yesterday's coroner story that was copied somewhat inaccurately by every news station in town:

"The mystery of Danny Gans' death remains almost two weeks after he died in his home, leaving rumors to fill the information void."

Steve Friess confessed to it in his column today.


* The "Wayne Newton" reference, never made public, was part of a tip emailed to TabloidBaby.com offices. Friess' inclusion of it indicates that he was part of a deliberate effort to mislead journalists investigating the Gans story.
(Comp queen Steve Friess threatens us every time we post his picture, so we're forced to used fascimiles. Help us get it right by sending us a nice photo of Steve Friess today!)

Under scrutiny, Las Vegas Review-Journal publishes a third story on the Danny Gans case

After two weeks of patient waiting in the case of the unexplained premature death of Strip superstar Danny Gans, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has gone into Danny Gans overdrive this morning, adding a third story to today's online edition.

The deluge of Gans stories follows two weeks of scrutiny by TabloidBaby.com and our exclusive story posted last night that Review-Journal editors and reporters had good leads and opinions as to what killed Danny Gans at 52, but have failed to pursue or publish.

Now, along with a column addressing suicide rumors and another revealing an "insurance issue... that suggests Gans had concerns about his health," the Review-Journal site features "Coroner awaits facts to reveal cause of Gans' death":

"The mystery of Danny Gans' death remains almost two weeks after he died in his home, leaving rumors to fill the information void.

"Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy has heard the rumors, but doesn't care about rumors.

"He cares about facts, specifically those that are uncovered by the investigators and doctors in his office who are charged with determining the causes of death for the 52-year-old impressionist and thousands of others who die in the county each year.

"'It's kind of a total picture, and that's what we're trying to do, is put all the pieces of the puzzle together,' Murphy said.

"Gans died May 1 at his Henderson home... The coroner's office performed an autopsy the day he died but has not determined his cause of death. The office was awaiting the results of toxicology tests that were sent to an independent lab after the autopsy.

"Murphy wouldn't offer more details about the Gans case...

"The samples are sent to an independent lab for testing, which can take an estimated two to four weeks.

"Once the coroner's office receives the test results, at least two and as many as four forensic pathologists will review them along with the autopsy results and come up with a cause of death, he said.

"That process could take as little as a day, but it could take weeks, especially if more tests are required, he said.

"'The reality is we don't do it within 60 minutes with commercials,' Murphy said."

Results could come this week.

Mike Murphy is not a doctor. According to Steve Miller of Inside Vegas, "In 2003, before the Clark County Commission appointed him coroner, Michael Murphy was a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri and Boulder City, Nevada. He was also the Chief of Police in tiny Mesquite, Nevada, and once worked for the City of Las Vegas Enforcement Division."

Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke revealed last week that his paper had made a deal with Gans' family and manager to publish the Danny Gans autobiography.