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...

What a night! Neil Innes and The Seventh Python make comedy history at the Wilmette Theatre

They laughed. They cheered. They sang along. They got free movie posters! And for four hours last night, the crowd that packed into the historic Wilmette Theatre in suburban Chicago were at the center of the rock, pop, comedy and movie universe as Neil Innes brought his live show to the Wilmette stage, along with a command screening of The Seventh Python, the movie about his life and work.

The Wilmette's Nili Yelin Wronski introduces MC and comedy legend Tim Kazurinsky

And what a show. A crowd mixed equally with Innes aficionados and curious movie buffs welcomed the Monty Python collaborator and roared with laughter as he recounted stories of his work in the rock music legends, brought his own legend up to date with biting, witty songs that took hits at mass media and corporate culture, and performed treats like "Run Away," a rare call-and-response outtake from Monty Python & The Holy Grail, and his new "Imitation Song," the "final" offering from his Rutles alter ego, Ron Nasty.

After the film and a brief intermission, Innes joined producer Brett Hudson, director Burt Kearns, and Monty Python historian Howard Johnson in a lively panel discussion with questions field from the audience by local comedy hero and Saturday Night Live veteran Tim Kazurinsky.

Neil Innes spent more than an hour after the show signing posters and memorabilia for a long line of fans

Exclusive! Neil Innes at soundcheck

The evening, organized by Wilmette Theatre publicity whiz Nili Yelin Wronski, certainly cemented The Mette's reputation as a cultural hotspot and a center of Chicago's movie and music scene.

Next stop for Innes is Thursday's launch of the Secret Policeman's Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.




The Seventh Python heads to the Revelation Perth International Film Festival in Perth Australia on July 4th and 10th.

(Tabloid Baby's Sam Peters, who arrived late to the show because of a "bad oyster" (!), adds: "The Wilmette Theatre is a splendid place, full of interesting artistic folks, with a top concession stand and ample parking! A tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to owner and gracious host Sam Samuelson, comedy giant Tim Kazurinsky, projectionist Chad Byers, and ace publicist, organizer and go-to gal, Nili Yelin!")

Coroner's Dilaudid finding confirms our report that the Las Vegas news media was covering up what they knew about the life and death of Danny Gans

Leila Navidi/Las Vegas Sun

"'The scuttlebutt in the Review-Journal
newsroom is that Danny Gans was
addicted to painkillers. The editors
and writers all know about it," says
one source who has impeccable
credentials in the Las Vegas media.
"Why aren't they reporting it or
investigating it? You know this town.'"

--TabloidBaby.com, May 13th, 2009

The media post mortems following the announcement of Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans' cause of death has only begun, but word that the supposedly clean-living musical impressionist died from a reaction to the powerful opiate Dilaudid confirms our reports that the Las Vegas news media was covering up what it knew about Gans' life, habits and cause of his untimely demise on May 1st.

We reported on May 13th:

"LAS VEGAS -- Call it 'The Danny Gans death coverup.'

"Sources close to the newsroom of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tell TabloidBaby.com tonight that editors and reporters at the newspaper have information that leads them to believe they know what killed the superstar headliner at 52, but they refuse to report or investigate the case-- or even address the speculation and rumors that have spread through this city like bad luck since Gans' manager acknowledged them over the weekend.

"'The scuttlebutt in the Review-Journal newsroom is that Danny Gans was addicted to painkillers. The editors and writers all know about it," says one source who has impeccable credentials in the Las Vegas media. 'Why aren't they reporting it or investigating it? You know this town.'"

"...A separate source tells TabloidBaby.com that paramedics who arrived to find Gans dead in his bedroom in the early hours of May 1st also 'found numerous prescription bottles around the bed.'"

In a carefully-worded and somewhat misleading statement that was crafted with utmost sensitivity to Gans' family, bosses and insurance concerns (especially with the word "accidental") the coroner refused to address whether steroids or other prescription drugs were found in Gans' system.

The reasons behind the media coverup, including the active disinformation campaign by Gans' close friend, beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs and her executive producer's partner in an unrecognized same-sex marriage, Vegas writer and comp queen Steve Friess (left), will be explored in the days to come.

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...

DANNY GANS: IT WAS DRUGS!

"Toxic reaction" to painkiller Dilaudid (a powerful ingredient of Elvis Presley's fatal pharmacological cocktail)...

Reason for coverup now obvious...

Our initial report of "prescription bottles" at crime scene confirmed...

Coroner softens edges of shock toxicology results...

Developing...

Tonight!

Tonight!

Upstart gossip site notices how TMZ bows to our criticism of its dangerous, offensive auto-asphyxiation primer

In one of our recent mentions of the latest offense perpetrated by the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com and its shaved bronzed midget frontman, the television attorney and tabloid pretender Harvey Levin, we acknowledged frisky newcomer Hollywood Rumor Rat, and today Rumor Rat responded in kind:

"There’s a behind the scenes battle a-brewing in the online world of tabloid journalism. The proprietors of www.tabloidbaby.com are going after TMZ with a vengeance over recent reports regarding the untimely death of actor David Carradine. Yesterday, Tabloid Baby took a few jabs at TMZ honcho Harvey Levin ('the shaved bronze midget,' as TB refers to him) and his staff, over their 'obviously first-hand step-by-step guide to auto-erotic asphyxiation.' Ouch! That was yesterday – Sunday. Today – by sheer coincidence, we’re certain – TMZ is now attributing it’s how-to guide to a 'scientific expert.'

"Surely nobody on the TMZ staff would have knowledge of the masturbatory pleasures of depriving one’s self of oxygen at just the right moment, right? The Big Cheese is certain that giant TMZ would like to make it seem as though it's brushing off the barbs of a pesky little website.

"Fact is, the man who brings us Tabloid Baby is one of the brains behind modern tabloid journalism. You can bet that on some level, Harvey Levin is taking all of his criticisms very seriously."

Huzzahs to Rumor Rat. A few clarifications:

* This is no war. TabloidBaby.com is world-renown as the premier critic of TMZ.

* TMZ has never brushed off any of our barbs, and its corporate overlords have responded to each of our criticisms, as they did in the case of the Carradine offense.

* Shaved bronzed midget TMZ frontman Harvey Levin takes ALL of our criticisms very seriously, for he is our dog.

Defying criticism, TMZ offers new auto-erotic asphyxiation instructions

The corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com are back with more auto-asphyxiation advice this morning-- but this time with a twist.

We pointed out yesterday that the perverted deviates at the West Hollywood jealousy jacuzzi had used the bizarre death of David Carradine as an excuse to offer dangerous, step-by-step, how-to instructions in the deadly masturbation techniques.

The detail in the description made it obvious that the postings were based on firsthand experience.

This morning, shaved bronzed midget frontman Harvey Levin and his crew explain to their young readers how they can tie their hands above their heads while cheating death during a solo sex act:

"By tying his hands above his head, and bending his knees in a sitting position, he can easily stand up and untie his hands with his teeth. Choking in this position is an accident that usually results from the rope being left on the neck a few seconds too long..."

The twist? This time, Harvey attributes the kinky, and possibly deadly bedroom secrets to "Brent Turvey, a forensic scientist and criminal profiler who has studied auto-erotic asphyxiation."

Oh yes, they read TabloidBaby.com...

Danny Gans shows up in The Hangover

The late Danny Gans makes a cameo appearance of sorts in this weekend's #1 box office attraction, The Hangover. The Las Vegas Strip headliner shows up near the end of the movie about three guys who lose their buddy on a Las Vegas bachelor's party bender. In a daytime scene on the rootop of Caesars Palace, Gans' name and image can be seen clearly on the giant marquee for the Mirage Casino Resort next door, where he'd reigned for years before moving his musical impressionist act over the road to Steve Wynn's Encore. Gans does not appear physically in the film, as do a couple of other showmen synonymous with the town in a hiliarious-- and surprisingly hardcore-- stills sequence during the credits.


The film was shot in Vegas last year. Danny Gans died in his home on May 1st, of still-undetermined causes.

Hollywood outrage as Harvey Levin and TMZ use Carradine hanging photo as an excuse to give kids a step-by-step manual to auto-erotic asphyxiation

We've got to hand it to the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com, trumpeting that they're taking some kind of high road by not re-posting today's Thai newspaper photo that allegedly shows David Carradine's naked dead body hanging in the closet of his hotel room, while publishing in its stead something a thousand times more reprehensible, sick and perverted:

An obviously first-hand, step-by-step guide
to auto-erotic asphyxiation!

Who does Harvey Levin think he's fooling? With their marketing and promotion of "celebrity" sex videos featuring scatology and urination to their Hollywood-hating confrontational tactics, TMZ's shaved bronzed midget frontman and his creepy harem of adoring rentboys have been trying for years to inject their amoral, sleazy and septic practices into the mainstream pop culture.

This latest assault can't be blamed on the weekend crew. While the Saturday-Sunday TMZ benchwarmers have been historically and often hysterically clueless on the tabloid journalism and propriety fronts, but though they manage to misspell Carradine's name in one of today's posts (above), it's obvious that it wasn't an hourly-wage mook but an elder veteran of bizarre, perverted sex practices who came to work on a weekend to drool over the Carradine snuff photo and give it his own self-abusive analysis:

"...if this is truly a case of auto-erotica, typically people who do this will put a cloth or something between the neck and the skin to avoid marks that would be difficult to explain. There's a picture that was published in a Thai newspaper showing the body hanging. We will not publish it, but we do not see evidence of anything between the neck and rope...

"...if this is truly a case of auto-erotica, generally there would be a magazine, video or something of a sexual nature within eyeshot to stimulate arousal...

"Also -- the notion behind auto-erotica is that oxygen is restricted to heighten orgasm, but the subject generally has a ladder, stool or something like it to restore oxygen..."

Thanks for the helpful tips, Harvey. You might even convince a lonely teenager to give it a try-- especially after you added a little more spice later in the day:

"...the new sharper image also reveals what appears to be fishnet stockings covering the body. You can also see red women's lingerie on the bed."

These outrageous, sick and attention-grabbing posts likely were concocted after the corporate overlords at Time Warner and AOL ordered that the Carradine photo not be posted, and come at a time when, through its own lack of judgment and morality, and faced with paid competition, TMZ has become increasingly irrelevant. Last week, the newcomer Hollywood Rumor Rat posted:

"It seems Radar Online is really jamming things up for... TMZ.com... For its first couple of years as an online entity, TMZ had a lock on gossipy exclusives... These days, TMZ seems to have been relegated to reporting items generated by public relations press releases...

"If TMZ doesn't step things up, it could soon disappear from the Hollywood radar."

The entrance of the National Enquirer's paid professional tabloid team under the cloak of RadarOnline has pulled TMZ's pants down to its spray-tanned ankles and exposed its shaved, bronzed shortcomings. TV attorney Harvey Levin can't compete with an Enquirer team schooled in the all-important nuances that are so important to the tabloid trade, like recognizing heroes from villains. (Harvey Levin and TMZ chased, hounded and mocked the disturbed woman who gave birth to eight children. RadarOnline gave her a video journal.)

TMZ's packs of street trade thugs, hanging outside hotspots with home video cameras to taunt celebrities, are no longer seen as a threats, but laughed at as clueless morons paid pennies to risk arrest. Someone up above even put a stop to the website's heartless puerile jokes about celebrity deaths. TMZ's irrelevance is the main reason we've stopped writing about them.

Look at TMZ today: Afraid to run police evidence photos, falling back on their private games.

Looks like TMZ is, well, hanging itself!

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.

Week Six: "I can't say he took steroids. All I noticed was the change in appearance as others have. For me, it was the size of his head increasing."

quote: Down Charleston Blvd
photos: 3) Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun 5) Robin Leach 6) Leila Navidi/Las Vegas Sun