Danny Gans' manager settles lawsuit aganst Donny & Marie; apologizes for "hurtful" comments that "may have been made"

Danny Gans' former manager Chip Lightman has gotten the "amicable" resolution to the lawsuit he fired against Donny & Marie Osmond for firing him as producer of their show at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, after all.

Lightman released a statement yesterday:

“I am pleased we were able to resolve this matter and am sorry that, in the heat of battle, comments may have been made that were hurtful to the Osmonds. Both Donny and Marie are talented, hardworking artists and I wish them continuing success in their careers.”

Donny responded:

“My sister and I want to thank Chip Lightman for great contributions he made in launching our show at the Flamingo. We look forward to the opportunity to work with him again in the future.”

"Comments (that) may have been harmful"?

"...work with him again in the near future?

Maybe Lightman really did have material for a tell-all in his pocket, as he'd threatened on Twitter before deleting the tweet.

In his suit against the toothsome twosome, the unloved Lightman accused Donny of being "underhanded, devious, fraudulent and greedy," being out to "line his own pockets with ill-gotten gains to fund his lavish lifestyle of exotic cars, luxury hotel suites and private jets," and acting in a manner that's "contrary to the wholesome, all-American, good-natured image that he presents to the public."


As for Marie? Lightman says the tragic mother was "liable for the fraud perpetrated by Donny through her acquiescence, awareness, and utter failure to disclose" his action.

Danny Gans death house sold

The mansion in which Danny Gans died has been sold, cutting another tie between the family of the late Las Vegas superstar and the city with which he'd been identified for more than a decade.

Coldwell Bankers announced that the lavish estate owned by Gans and his wife Julie was sold quietly this week to a couple from California. Reports say they paid about $9 million for the 9,400-square-foot French-chateau styled main residence on 2.57 acres in Roma Hills in neighboring Henderson, Nevada.

Gans designed the estate, which includes a guest house house, built atop of basement garage in which Gans kept his collection of 20 cars.


Coldwell coordinated the estate sale in conjunction with the auction of a dozen of Gans’ cars and bikes by the Barrett-Jackson auctioneers (the lot fetched about half a million dollars).

Gans' wife and three kids pulled up stakes and moved to the Los Angeles area shortly after Julie Gans called 911 to report she'd found the superstar musical impressionist was found dead in his bedroom in the early hours of May 1, 2009. The charitable, athletic Born Again Christian and family man overdosed on hydromorphone, a powerful opiate sold as Dilaudid and known on the streets as "drug store heroin."

Art Vargas brings touch of Prima to the Palms

Art Vargas himself summed it up in hipster code for his Facebook friends early this morning: "Mondo Lounge was a gass!... Swingin time with the swank set... very cool crowd, swank settin' hipsters... diggin the scene, layin it down old school style... like no other dig it the most daddy!"

The red hot Vargas brought down the house at the Palms' Key West ballroom in Las Vegas last night, working the Mondo Lounge convention crowd and giving bookers, agents and tastemakers another solid reason why the man who's played the big rooms reviving the ghost of Bobby Darin while working lounges and bistros with his own retro-themed classic Vegas act, deserves a showroom of his own, his name on a giant marquee and billboards in and on the way from the airport as big and ubiquitous as Danny Gans'.

And while Vargas has the potential to take Danny Gans' role as the living embodiment of Las Vegas entertainment, the mantle he's really in line to assume is that of Louis Prima, the all-round entertainer who turned the Vegas lounge into the center of Vegas cool, and deservedly ascended to headliner status. Nothing made that more clear by the guest shot in last night's show by none other than Prima's daughter, Lena. Lena, youngest daughter of Louis Prima and Gia Maione, has carried on with her Louis-centric career and is regarded as Vegas loyalty.


Posted Vargas: "What A GASSS it is performing with you Lena!! Lets build a barn and do a show! just like Mickey & Judy! you are great, you must have your dad's heart and soul, what a legacy, the passion and performance is so real, what a thrill, and the audience so loved it! It is magical ..."

The Vegas media will catch up soon enough. Stay tuned.

Art Vargas plays the Palms Saturday night

Art Vargas, the charismatic, energetic veteran showman we've picked as a prime candidate for a showroom of his own on the Las Vegas Strip, gets a few blocks closer when he brings his show to the Palms Casino Resort Saturday night at.

That's tomorrow. At 8.

Hot off last weekend's success at the Rampart, Vargas and his group The Swank Set will be the highlight of the "Mondo Lounge Ultimate Retro Party and Conference," which "brings together fans of retro fashion, tiki, pin-ups, exotica music, Atomic Age cocktails, bachelor pad living, ballroom dance and the vintage Vegas Rat Pack vibe," which Vargas brings in spades with his signature brand of very timely retro cool rock and jazz. Bookers, tastemakers, music critics, gossips and big time talent agents are well advised to make their way to the Palms. Vargas is Vegas future.

MDA to Jerry Lewis: "Thanks and f--- you!"

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has distanced itself from and shown great disrespect toward its greatest asset and the man who gave it an international identity, saying today that Jerry Lewis "will be asked" to participate in the drastically-slashed telethon in 2011.

We reported five days ago that something was amiss in the MDA's announcement that it would turn the 21 1/2 hour national tradition into a six-hour Sunday night television special because its announcement did not mention Lewis' name, while featuring photos of subhost Jann Carl. The following day, we reported exclusively word from a telethon insider that Jerry Lewis was not part of the decision-- and that the MDA officials consider the end of Lewis' reign to be a "transitioning."

Today, John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Sun picked up the story, reporting that by all indications, Lewis will have a diminished presence on the revamped television special.


He quoted MDA PR VP Jim Brown:

“Jerry Lewis has been MDA’s national chairman for more than 50 years. He’s a world-class humanitarian how has done an absolutely outstanding job for the families served by the association. Jerry will be asked to play a key role in the 2011 telethon.”

Kats emphasized the "will be asked. Not, has been asked. "Lewis has been informed of, not consulted about, the drawdown of the show. He had nothing to do with that decision, which organizers feel will intensify interest in the program and appeal to big-name celebs who want to reach a large audience in prime time instead of the insomniacs tuning in at 3 a.m."


Kats says Jerry returned his phone call this morning and said, "I have nothing more to discuss about the situation," but called back later and promised to speak over coffee later in the week.

Stay tuned.

Lightman's solo act issue in Osmond lawsuit

There's an interesting and forgotten footnote to Chip Lightman's lawsuit against Donny Osmond, for firing him as producer of the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo. In August, 2009, after it was announced that Donny would compete in ABC's Dancing with The Stars, Mike Weatherford wrote in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

"The Flamingo was wise to lock in the duo with a contract extension through Oct. 15, 2012. The two originally were courted by late impressionist Danny Gans and his manager, Chip Lightman, who produced under the name GansLight Entertainment.

"Lightman says Gans' family is no longer financially involved in the Osmond show. He's helming it under the name Chip Lightman Entertainment. However, the giant building wrap on the side of the Flamingo is cost-prohibitive to change, so Gans' name will stay."

Lightman's suit claims his contract with the Osmonds show runs through October 15, 2012.

In his Las Vegas Sun article on yesterday's Danny Gans Memorial Champions Run for Life, John Katsilometes reports that "Osmond talked glowingly of Gans, who was managed by Lightman and instrumental in bringing Donny & Marie to the Flamingo two years ago. He says he took on the role of spokesman for the annual run-walk charity event as a tribute to Gans."

“'This shows it is not just a publicity thing with me,' Osmond said. 'Danny was such a good friend of mine. We texted jokes to each other. He came to the show, and he’d have notes for me all the time because he’s such a perfectionist. He came into my dressing room and had four pages of notes, and 90 percent of what he said was spot on.”

Donny Osmond hosts Danny Gans run

Though he's being sued by Danny Gans' former manager and producing partner, Donny Osmond couldn't miss hosting yesterday's second annual Danny Gans Memorial Champions run for the Nevada Cance Foundation-- not when it's been retitled the “Danny Gans Memorial Champions Run for Life Hosted by Donny Osmond."

Chip Lightman filed suit after Osmond fired him last month as producer of the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo on the Las Vegas Strip. Lightman claims the contract runs through October 2012. Donny said he couldn't talk about the lawsuit, but to John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Sun, did respond to its claim he has a “lavish lifestyle of exotic cars, luxury hotel suites and private jets.”

Said Donny: “I drive a smart car and a pickup. I don’t think those are exotic cars.”

PHOTO by JOHN KATSILOMETES

Decision to slash telethon was "strictly MDA"

Though he's national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry Lewis was not involved in the decision to shorten the MDA's annual Labor Day Telethon that he's starred in, tirelessly promoted and has been singularly identified with for 45 years.

A telethon insider tells us the decision to slash the national institution from its 21-hour marathon length and turn it into a Sunday night six-hour primetime special-- tape-delayed to most of the country) was "strictly MDA," and decided "mostly for financial reasons."

"They don't think of it as an end. they think of it as a 'transitioning,'" says the insider.

Jerry Lewis is 84. We're told that his on-screen work in the most recent telethon was limited to six hours, anyway. The unanswered questions are how much he'll be involved in the MDA mini-thon (if at all), and whether the institution can survive without him. The MDA's announcements of the change have featured photos of subhost and former Entertainment Tonight reporter Jann Carl.

Chip Lightman says he hopes for "amicable" resolution to his lawsuit against "underhanded, devious, fraudulent and greedy" Donny Osmond

Amicable???!!!!!

Danny Gans' former manager Chip Lightman has made it very clear that Las Vegas blogger, New York Times stringer (who, interestingly did not pen the recent high-profile Times stories on the Vegas economic slump or Liberace Museum), Gay Vegas author, concert promoter and comp queen Steve Friess wasn't far off the mark when he wrote: "In Las Vegas, when left to our own devices, we do things a little differently.”

Lightman has filed a blistering lawsuit against Donny Osmond for firing him as producer of the Donny & Marie stage show at the Flamingo Hilton, accusing the squeaky-clean, caffeine-free, toothy, Mormon entertainer of being "underhanded, devious, fraudulent and greedy," being out to "line his own pockets with ill-gotten gains to fund his lavish lifestyle of exotic cars, luxury hotel suites and private jets," and acting in a manner that's "contrary to the wholesome, all-American, good-natured image that he presents to the public."

Yet, Lightman now says he hopes the suit's resolution will be "amicable."


Amicable.

Amicable!

Lightman's publicist spread the 23-page complaint yesterday as an attachment to an email that read:

"At this time the claim will speak for itself.
I am hopeful and optimistic
that an amicable resolution
will come quickly
to this unfortunate situation
I never wanted to find myself in."

Lightman, who announced the lawsuit on his Twitter account, also deleted from his Twitter page a threatening "tweet" aimed Friday at Donny and his sister Marie.


This "tweet" remains this morning:


Marie Osmond's son committed suicide in February.

Chip Lightman's lawsuit calls Donny Osmond "underhanded, devious, fraudulent and greedy"

Chip Lightman knows how to hit Donny Osmond where it hurts: smack in the middle of his squeaky-clean Mormon image.

Lightman, who made his reputation as manager and sidekick to the late local superstar Danny Gans, filed suit against the wholesome entertainer last week after Osmond announced he was dropping Lightman as producer of the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo (Lightman and Gans-- who died suddenly in May 2009--brought the brother-sister act to the Flamingo, in effect reviving their careers, two years ago, producing the show under the Ganslight banner).


Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Lightman's suit claims Donny Osmond was "underhanded, devious, fraudulent and greedy," out to "line his own pockets with ill-gotten gains to fund his lavish lifestyle of exotic cars, luxury hotel suites and private jets," and acted in ways that are "contrary to the wholesome, all-American, good-natured image that he presents to the public."

"The lawsuit claims that Osmond conspired to cut Lightman and the William Morris Agency out of a Flamingo contract extension through 2012, and claims Donny threatened not to perform beyond next week if "the Flamingo did not terminate any and all agreements" with Lightman.

"The suit alleges that '(d)ue to the declining economy, poor investments and his extravagant lifestyle," Donny "lived paycheck to paycheck scraping by to cover his own expenses.' That, Lightman alleges, motivated him to try to cut costs and commissions.

"The Osmonds' attorney, Howard King, said Wednesday he had not seen the complaint to comment on specifics. But he wrote in an e-mail, 'Of course, we are surprised and disappointed that Mr. Lightman took such precipitous action, especially in light of the substantial sums he has been paid, despite the facts that he neither created, financed or owns the show, nor does he engage the 48 talented and dedicated people who produce and perform the show each night.'"

Weatherford reports that the lawsuit claims the Osmonds each had a base salary of $1.6 million, plus 40 percent of gross box office receipts over $250,000, and that the Flamingo obtained life insurance policies for both Donny and Marie in the amount of $5 million each.

He also points out that Gans stopped working with Lightman from 2004 through early 2008, but reconciled.

Donny Osmond spoke at Danny Gans' memorial service and is set to host the Danny Gans Memorial Champions Run for Life in nearby Henderson on Saturday.

(Mike Weatherford's also got a good joke buried in the story, so check it out here.)

Rich Little returns to scene of wife's funeral to say "so long" to Tony Curtis

Weeks after the funeral of his wife, Marie, who committed suicide in July, legendary impersonator Rich Little returned to the Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas for the farewell to show biz pal Tony Curtis.

The Palm Valley View Cemetery is also the final resting place for Little's fellow impressionist and George Burns impersonator Danny Gans.

Chip Lightman sues, threatens to write tell-all book about Donny & Marie Osmond

Danny Gans' former manager Chip Lightman has declared war on Donny and Marie Osmond, filing a lawsuit against them and threatening to reveal the secrets of the Mormon siblings in a "tell all book."

Lightman struck out on his Twitter account in response to the Osmonds' announcement that they were bouncing him from his role as producer of their show at the Flamingo Hilton.


Gans and his longtime friend and sidekick Lightman brought the show to the Flamingo two years ago under their Ganslight banner. The Osmonds said on September 25th that the Ganslight contract expired last week and that "we have decided not to renew that contract.

"The show will of course continue... and we hope to explore future opportunities with Chip Lightman."

Lightman posted Friday on Twitter, a common means of communication among Las Vegas showbiz insiders, claiming there are two years left on their "commitment" and accusing Donny Osmond of "putting out false information" (he'd later accuse the brother-sister act of "contractual interference and deceitful dealings" and claim that Donny told him his contract wouldn't be renewed unless he'd take a 50 percent pay cut).


Most chilling to the "squeaky clean" Mormon Osmonds and others in Sin City circles was Lightman's threat that he "has already been approached for a 'TELL ALL' BOOK."


Lightman indicated the type of the secrets he could be prodded to spill back in December when, unprompted, he contradicted the official timeline of Gans' untimely drug-related death on May 1, 2009, that Gans' wife Julie had given police.

Fun Fact: Lightman tweeted on March 21st that "Donnie & Marie are a class act."

Art Vargas is returning to Las Vegas

"I saw Las Vegas future and its name is Art Vargas!"
--Sam Peters

The man who should be a Strip headliner returns to his swingin' stompin' grounds at the Rampart Casino, October 15, 16 and 17.


Beat a path off the beaten path to catch Art Vargas before the big bookers, promoters and agents catch on and place him a theatre with big ticket prices.

Man of Many Cars: Danny Gans collection brings in $500,000 at auction

Danny Gans' car collection raked in more than half a million dollars when they were put up for bid last weekend as the highlight of the annual Barrett-Jackson auction at the Mandalay Bay.

The three children of the late Las Vegas musical impressionist and superstar were there to watch the nine vehicles and Harley Davidson motorcycle go on the block. Son Andrew brought down the hammer on each sale.

Harley Davidson clutch cover reads:"Danny Gans The Man of Many Voices"

Said daughter Amy: "We felt sad to see them just sitting in the garage and felt we should share them with people who also had a passion for them.

"We feel an overwhelming love for the cars and for Dad."

Liberace who?

"When this started 30-some years ago, Lee was still a name. Keeping that brand alive has been very difficult. When Liberace passed away, no one really did what they did with the Presley estate. If you turn on XM Radio, you're going to see a Sinatra station, you'll see an Elvis station. When you look at Liberace, his music is well-played, interpreted by a real talent. But it isn't kept alive the way Elvis or Sinatra's is."

--Jeffrey Koep, chairman of the Liberace Foundation board of directors, on Friday's announcement that the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas will close October 17.

Liberace Museum closing after 31 years

The Liberace Museum, tucked into a strip mall of East Tropicana Avenue two and half miles from the Las Vegas Strip, will close on October 17th, after 31 years in business.

The announcement came on Friday, the week in which a performer known as Prince Poppycock moved to the America's Got Talent finals after performing in a red-white and blue shortpants outfit that was surely a tribute to Liberace's star-spangled hotpants, and the month in which Michael Douglas, who is set to portray the flamboyant showman in a biopic directed by Steven Soderburgh, began treatment for throat cancer.

From Tabloid Baby, Chapter 38:

"...The papers would say it last snowed in Las Vegas in 1990. Wayne and I were in town for that last storm. We'd just arrived to shoot 'Vegas Week' material for A Current Affair. That was when Wayne got Maureen to dress up as a showgirl and I shot a piece on the Liberace Museum that we promoted as the discovery of the little known 'Mrs. Liberace.' The story was true. She was his sister-in-law."

Labor Day weekend is Jerry Lewis weekend

The 2010 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon starts Sunday at 6 pm and wraps up on Labor Day at 3:30 pm. Check your local listings.

Click here to help Jerry and his kids.

PHOTO: STEVE MARCUS/LAS VEGAS SUN

Las Vegas Review-Journal finds Paris Hilton coke bust more newsworthy than the death of Danny Gans

Editor Thomas "McCloud" Mitchell and the gang at the Las Vegas Review-Journal must be proud this morning. A look at their website and a scan of their archives reveal that they've posted more stories about Paris Hilton's cocaine arrest in the past three days than they'd posted about local superstar Danny Gans in the three days after his sudden, shocking and untimely death.


Las Vegas Review-Journal on the arrest of Paris Hilton:

No special treatment for Paris Hilton, police say
Posted 08/28/2010

'Vapor trail' leads to Strip arrest of Paris Hilton, nightclub mogul Waits
Posted 08/28/2010

Arrest report states Hilton had rolling papers, prescription pill
Posted 08/30/2010

PARIS HILTON -- A LITTLE FREAKED
Posted 08/30/2010

PHOTOS OF PARIS HILTON'S ARREST
Posted 08/28/2010

PARIS HILTON HOURS BEFORE ARREST
Posted 08/29/2010

Club operator on up-and-down ride
Posted 08/29/2010

RJtv FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL and FOLLOWING THE PARIS HILTON CASE
Posted 08/30/2010

Las Vegas Review-Journal on the death of Danny Gans:

May 4, 2009 Gans friends share feelings, memories

May 3, 2009 Gans has final word in life story

May 3, 2009 Gans looked ahead

May 3, 2009 WEEK IN REVIEW: Top News The deaths of two local icons, both in their early 50s, bracketed a sorrowful week for Las Vegas.

May 2, 2009 Gans'final act leaves mystery

May 2, 2009 CELEBRITY MEMORIES

May 2, 2009 'He can't be replaced'

Somebody book Art Vargas for Jerry's telethon

They're talking in Las Vegas about Art Vargas killing at the Bootlegger Bistro Saturday night with a swingin' show, a packed house and a wild, cheering crowd that went even wilder when Vargas was joined onstage by Louis Prima's daughter Lena for a version of Old Black Magic. The gig was the latest showcase for the old school showman and topnotch singer that could soon have him headlining in his own room on the Vegas Strip where he belongs, and amid the musical impressionists, magicians, acrobats and superstars, there's surely a place.

With word that Jerry Lewis was filling next weekend's MDA telethon with a roster of little-known Las Vegas acts, we're more than a little disappointed-- and surprised-- to see that Vargas is not among those scheduled. Put this guy and his Swank Set on at 11 pm Sunday and they're guaranteed to bring down the house at the South Point and have those phones ringing and web hits adding up.

Las Vegas Sun features Tabloid Baby video clip in Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon preview

The Las Vegas Sun has posted a clip from the Tabloid Baby YouTube channel as part of a feature story tribute to Jerry Lewis as his 45th annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon approaches.

The clip depicts Jerry in full throttle mode in the final hour of the 2009 MDA telethon, which added $60.5 million to the cause.

The Sun's reliance on material posted by the Tabloid Baby team reveals clearly how the Las Vegas news media looks to Tabloid Baby since our site excoriated local journalists for the shamefully lax and negligent coverage of the mysterious and untimely death of Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans.


The Sun article notes that the telethon from the South Point Casino-- far from the legendary Strip that 84-year-old Jerry Lewis helped put on the map and cultivated--faces obstacles in this tough economic times and confusing celebrity grid:

"He just keeps marching on, even with the changing economy, even without the support of stars who once clamored to be seen on the telethon.

“'You hear the list of performers this year — Brad (he searches for a word) Stump, Helen Utch, Ruth Belmenent,' he said. 'And these people are some of the best talent in America. But it’s a big difference' from big-name stars.

“'People don’t want to do a telethon anymore because they have to get off their butt, get on a plane, come here and do it,' he said. 'But I don’t want them when they don’t want to, because they don’t come with the right attitude. If they come out of pressure, they’re no good to me.'"


The 2010 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon begins Sunday, Sept. 5 at 9 pm EDT, live from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. It concludes Labor Day, Sept. 6 at 6:30 pm EDT. Check listings for local stations, start and end times, or visit mda.org.


Social media followers of MDA’s Twitter, Facebook and sites will get a behind-the-scenes look at the show during the broadcast.

Read the only behind-the-scenes account of Jerry Lewis and the MDA telethon in Chapter 6 of the book, Tabloid Baby.

(NOTE THE BABY PICTURE)

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN M. BOWEN/ LAS VEGAS SUN