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

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

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

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

Mitchell replied:

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

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

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

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



Says Sam Peters:

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

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

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

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

Thomas Mitchell & Sam Peters, without hats

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

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

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

Here is an update:

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

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

"are swapping dark speculations about depression"

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

slams Alicia Jacobs for her"reverse bias"

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

Tom Mitchell photos: Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Curse of The Encore? Whoopi Goldberg walks off during first show in the theatre since the death of Danny Gans

The first show at the Encore Theatre since the death of Danny Gans reportedly ended in chaos last night as Whoopi Goldberg walked off the stage after a medical emergency in the audience-- and never returned.

The story was "twittered" by Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke, who, in a bizarre twist, had gotten a "twittered" from the scene (Gans' former theatre) by Gans' close personal friend Alicia Jacobs, the beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter who was the first media figure to be notified of Gans' sudden death on May 1st, and who's been under fire for her role incovering the story.

Norm delivered three Twitter posts:

* Alicia Jacobs, ent reporter at KVBC-TV, CH3 just Twittered "Whoopi Goldberg walked off stage & didn't finish her show 2night @ ENCORE!"

* "An audience member took ill, ambulance came. Whoopi wallked off stage, never said goodnight. Audience was left a bit blindsided."

* Whoopie's walk-off came in the first show in the Encore Theater since Danny Gans' last show on April 29. Gans died May 1 of unknown causes

At the time of Gans' death at age 52, he was three months into a longterm engagement at the Encore Theatre. Ticket sales were sluggish, and he was said to be unhappy that other acts were being brought in on his dark nights.


After the tragedy, some suggested that the musical impressionist had fallen to the "curse" of the Encore Theatre because his show had followed disappointing, abbreviated engagements by the Broadway shows Avenue Q and Spamalot.


Whoopi's disastrous first night follows that tradition. Larry King and Beyonce will dare take the stage in the coming weeks.


The Encore had been the site of Gans' memorial service on Thursday.

(UPDATE: Norm twitters again: "One attendee just e-mailed me, saying a showgoer appeared to be having a seizure. Another attendee sez Whoopie "DID say goodnight.")

Developing...

Exclusive: Bombshell evidence against Ryan O'Neal and collaborators in lawsuit over NBC News' Farrah Fawcett special

“This is not about money.
This is not about ego.
This is not about anything but Farrah.
I was entrusted with overseeing
this very personal project.
I want her vision to be seen
and her voice to be heard.
I won't speak about her in the past tense.
She’s not in the past tense."

--Craig J. Nevius, Farrah Fawcett’s documentary partner,
kicked to the curb by Ryan O’Neal

With Tabloid Baby pal Brett Hudson appearing on syndicated television this week (video here) talking about Farrah Fawcett's thwarted intentions with the cancer documentary that was hijacked and turned into a maudlin, morbid celebrity soap by NBC News (well, she did sell them the footage), new attention is being focused on the lawsuit that's hanging over the heads of the imitation tabloid producers and Ryan O'Neal, Farrah's on-again off-again drug- and anger-troubled lover who took the helm of the project and kicked the original producer to the curb.

Craig J. Nevius is suing O'Neal, Farrah's friend and companion in German cancer clinics Alana Stewart, among others, for pushing him out of the project after two years of work and pursuing "their own individual interests contrary to Ms. Fawcett's stated desires."

(Click here to visit TheKlinikMovie.com)

Bottom line: Farrah wanted to produce a special that tackled the issue of why alternative, and often inexpensive, cancer treatments that work are available in countries like Germany but not in the United States. She and Nevius formed a company to make a film about her journey that was to be based on her home movies and called "A Wing And A Prayer.”

Love Story?

Then, as Farrah’s condition took a turn for the worse late last year, Ryan O'Neal allegedly moved in, started calling the shots, knocked Nevius out of the picture and collaborated with NBC News in cooking up “Farrah’s Story,” which featured the original Charlie’s Angels and O’Neal in the role of crying Charlie and—

Hold on a minute! Why haven’t we haven’t seen any mention of the fact that the title, “Farrah’s Story,” is very reminiscent of O’Neal’s hit film Love Story-- the one from forty years ago, about the Yalie who loses his love to cancer-- which he made reference to specifically in the special, as well as referring to the project as “a love story” in interviews?

O’Neal has taken over Farrah’s affairs and is already helming a sequel, because the NBC special did so well last Friday night, and it would seem that Nevius’ lawsuit is beside the point beyond a payoff.

But there are a couple of surprises here.

"Not about money"

First, Craig Nevius tells Tabloid Baby that he doesn’t want money.

“My motivation? This is not about money. This is not about ego," he insisted today. "This is not about anything but Farrah. I was entrusted with overseeing this very personal project. I want her vision to be seen and her voice to be heard.


“I'm not saying there wasn't anything positive in the program that aired; there was. To a certain extent Farrah has already succeeded in doing what she set out to do: promote a national dialogue about issues related to cancer--even if they weren't all addressed in the program-- and address the privacy issues.

“But Farrah's Story should be just that: Farrah's story.

“I hope Farrah will rally. That’s what motivates everything I say and do with respect to her. I have to operate under the assumption that I still work for— and with-- her. Look, I'm still accountable to her today as if she’s a hundred percent healthy and will be calling me up tomorrow with questions or new ideas. I can't-- and I won't speak about her in the past tense. Because she’s not in the past tense."

Bombshell evidence

There’s some bombshell evidence in this case that could turn this love story into one of the biggest Hollywood Babylon scandals since, well, since Tatum O’Neal accused her father of physical and emotional abuse and claimed she was molested by one of his buddies… since Griffin O’Neal’s father punched out his two front teeth… since Redmond O’Neal was busted with his father for drug possession…

We've got the evidence.

We’ll post it after the holiday weekend, so the story doesn't get lost when no one's paying attention...

UPDATE HERE: The evidence revealed...

Coroner still has no word on what killed Danny Gans as the Las Vegas death mystery enters its fourth week

Three weeks after Las Vegas headliner Danny Gans died mysteriously at his home in the middle of the night, there's still no word on what caused his death at the prime age of 52. Minutes ago, a spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner told Tabloid Baby that the toxicology report on Gans is still not ready for release, and will not be released today. We'd half-expected they'd sneak it out so any unpleasant surprises would be diluted through the holiday weekend when fewer people are paying attention, but all we know for sure is that coroner Mike Murphy did not stamp "RUSH" on that evidence envelope after an autopsy proved inconclusive.


So we enter Week Four of the Danny Gans mystery... to be picked up on Tuesday unless something breaks.

Check in here for the latest... and continue to send in your tips...

Who will be the new Danny Gans?

The Las Vegas Review-Journal posts a blurry photo of two contenders for Danny Gans' "Mr. Vegas" title (and pretenders to Danny Gans' throne?), Carrot Top and Criss Angel, at Danny Gans' memorial in what was his showroom.

The show goes on: Whoopi Goldberg moves into Danny Gans' theatre tonight

The show goes on at the Encore Theatre. Whoopi Goldberg is moving in tonight.

Danny Gans is gone. The memorial service has taken place. And by the time the toxicology report is released by the Las Vegas County Coroner's Office, the results will be an afterthought, of little consequence to the town, an asterisk to a piece of history as relevant as the last casino to be imploded to make way for a skyscraper.

And that's how the power brokers and media elite want it.

And no moss is growing in the Steve Wynn's Encore Theatre, where Gans had begun a longterm, multimillion dollar engagement three months ago, and was struggling with disappointing ticket sales when he was found dead in his bed on May 1st.


Goldberg, the comedian, actress and talk show host will be the first headliner to perform in the Encore Theater since Gans' death.

She performs tonight and Saturday.

Said Goldberg:

“I got a call from Steve (Wynn), who said, ‘Do you want to do the Encore?’ and I said, Sure, yeah.'"

The program for Danny Gans' memorial

More than 1,000 friends, fans and colleagues joined in the Encore Theatre on the Las Vegas Strip for music, memories, tears and laughter in the memorial for Danny Gans. Speakers included Gans' boss Steve Wynn and his estranged wife Elaine, Mayor Oscar Goodman (who declared May 21st Danny Gans Day in Las Vegas), pastors Gary Morefield and Benny Perez Donny Osmond and Gans’ children, Andrew, 19, Amy, 16, and Emily, 14.

Said Wynn:

“I marveled at the remarkable ability this man had to entertain.

“The Dalai Lama says, as an observation, if you experience enough of life you will come to the conclusion the only way to live a happy life is to make happiness for other people. I believe that to be true, and I can say with confidence that our friend Danny Gans had a most successful life.”

Danny Gans' son says family knew of no health problems

Danny Gans' wife and kids say they have no idea what killed the beloved Las Vegas entertainer at 52, and insist he had no serious health problems.

In what he billed as "the first interview granted by a family member since Danny Gans' death," (although a New York Times reporter interviewed Gans' children and even got their photo earlier this week), Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke spoke to Gan's widow Julie and son Andrew after the memorial service at the Encore Theatre.

Said Andrew: "We knew he had high blood pressure but was taking something to control that, and he had to watch what he ate."

"So what about the reports that his father wasn't feeling well prior to his death and seemed to be sending signals to close friends that he was aware something was seriously wrong?

"'There are some bad...' he said, searching for the right word, 'rumors out there.'"

Thank the Las Vegas news media and its overly-respectful, hands-off approach. Gans' manager Chip Lightman and his close personal friend beauty queen-turned-TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs told Norm last week that the musical impressionist had high blood pressure and family history of heart problems. On May 14th, in a teasing item that has not been followed up on or retracted, Norm wrote: "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."

Norm teased his upcoming interview yesterday afternoon in Twitter postings:

"Coming up: the first interview with Danny Gans family. I just left the reception in the Margaux room at Wynn Las Vegas..."

"In my exclusive interview with Danny Gans' son, Andrew, he's adamant: The family had no inkling of medical problems. Not once? 'Never!'"

"The story will be posted in a few minutes on http://www/normclarke.com. I saw him walking by himself & we chatted for more than 10 min."

"His sister, Amy, 21, was unbelievable during the memorial. She got her dad's humor genes. The family wore red and black, Danny's colors."

Norm also twittered that bronchitis kept Andre Agassi from speaking at the memorial and added in his column:

"At Gans' memorial: entertainers Donny and Marie Osmond, Siegfried Fischbacher, Rita Rudner, Criss Angel, Clint Holmes and Kelly Clinton, Earl Turner, Carrot Top, George Wallace, and The Scintas. Spotted at the reception held by the family in the Margaux room at Wynn: KVBC-TV, Channel 13 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs, former Gov. Bob Miller (Andrew Gans attended Bob Miller Middle School), entertainer Gerry McCambridge, and Mitch Fox, host and producer of Nevada Week in Review."

NY Times photo

John Altman's Big Band swings into LA!

John Altman, the Emmy-winning composer, conductor, arranger, musician and "The George Martin of The Rutles" electrified a packed ballroom at the Four Points Sheraton at LAX this afternoon as he led a swinging, brassy big band through original and classic compositions to launch the Los Angeles Jazz Institute's 2009 Big Band Festival.

The John Altman Big Band, featuring Altman's saxophone and a shiny brass section opened the four-day fest, which in a nod to Frank Sinatra, is dubbed A Swingin' Affair.

Altman flew into Los Angeles from London last week in time to be special guest as The Seventh Python opened the Pacific Palisades Film Festival. Altman appears in Frozen Pictures' film about Neil Innes, is in fact the star musician in the band that backs Innes in much of the concert footage and joins Innes in one of the biggest laugh-inducing gags of the film.

Neil Innes & John Altman in The Seventh Python

Tears & smiles at memorial for Danny Gans

Steve Wynn in the room he'd built for Danny Gans, and Donny Osmond, who got a room at the Flamingo thanks to Danny Gans, were among the friends and fans who remembered the man behind the legend at an emotional memorial service at the Encore Theatre in the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip this afternoon. Outside, controversy continued to swell around the mystery of how the clean-living, athletic Born Again Christian died at 52 and how the Las Vegas media is handling the story, but for a brief time, all that mattered were the memories of a man of many voices who was one of the most unique success stories in the history of show business.

Photos: Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 pm: The curtain falls for Danny Gans



.

Gans memorial will go on with no answers about what caused his untimely death at 52; Vegas journos waste column inches questioning public invites

The memorial tribute to Danny Gans will go on at the Encore Theatre later this afternoon without most people having any idea of what caused the gifted musical impressionist to die suddenly at age 52. A spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner's Office told TabloidBaby.com minutes ago that the results of toxicology reports on the late superstar are "still pending," and suggested that they won't be known until early next week, "after the holiday" at the earliest.

As a footnote we'd like to point out that our team members have spoken to several spokeswoman for the coroner in the past week or so, and to a person they have been more than professional: courteous, helpful and charming. This is not a fawning note-- they really do stand out.

What also stands out is the attitude of more than one Las Vegas columnist when it comes to the free tickets to today's Gans memorial that were handed out to members of the public. We were astounded yesterday when comp queen and Vegas writer Steve Friess (left) called the idea "strange," and referred to the ordinary folk who'd attend the tribute as "seatfillers" as if they were paid stand-ins who fill in empty seats at award shows to make the room look full. We saw it as smart and generous way to allow the common man to pay tribute to the Everyman superstar (limited seating, great demand, makes sense)-- especially after the panic over the public storming the gates at the event or his secret funeral.

Yet today, two Las Vegas print columnists also mock the idea. Richard Abowitz, who writes the Vegas blog for the Los Angeles Times and has maintained a noticeable hands-off policy with the Gans story ("I have tried to write as little as possible about Gans' passing. Right now the death investigation is awaiting a toxicology report and then we will know better if we are discussing a John Ritter or a Heath Ledger death or something else. Whatever the cause, the facts are that the father of three is dead and the show is closed. Those are the two facts that matter most in Vegas, and no future information will alter them.") posts today:

"I assume trying to cajole volunteers to come to the memorial at Encore is being done to create a full house for the cameras and media covering this tribute to Gans. 'Free Comp tickets are currently available for Danny Gans Memorial Thursday afternoon at Wynn,' the e-mails read. Has anyone ever heard of being comped to a memorial service before?"

Even Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal took time to question the gesture:

"...It was quite a surprise to see one of the daily blasts offering a complimentary ticket to the Danny Gans memorial service today at Encore.

"Well, it's not a surprise in one sense. ShowTickets4Locals is co-owned by the late impressionist's manager, Chip Lightman. But it did raise questions of why they needed to 'paper' a service that had been characterized as an invitation-only gathering of family and friends?

"'It was not an effort to fill the house,' says Gans' publicist, Laura Herlovich. Rather, 'Danny was very active in a lot of community things,' and this was part of the outreach to include some 'regular' fans and locals in the memorial. Tickets also were given to firefighters and police officers, she said..."

These Vegas journos think differently than the rest of us beyond the desert. Of all the things to write about in the case of Danny Gans, this gets them to their word processors.

The Las Vegas Sun? John Katsilometes, who's backed way off from the Gans story since his Day One questions, jots off a quick column saying that today's memorial has got him listening to Paul McCartney and attending a family reunion.

Go figure.

Developing...

Locals play catch-up: Las Vegas newspaper slams Alicia Jacobs for her "reverse bias" in reporting the Danny Gans death case

"I've proven I have ethics,
that I'm a solid reporter
and have never misled viewers.
And I have integrity, which is everything.”

--Danny Gans' close friend, TV reporter Alicia Jacobs

Maybe we’re not crazy for covering the Danny Gans death mystery, after all. The day after the New York Times features the story at the top of its National section, the Las Vegas Review-Journal is starting to catch up. Eighteen days after we brought up the questionable relationship and conflicts of interest involving beauty queen-turned-reporter Alicia Jacobs, the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper has sicced a reporter to take a hard look at her questionable actions over the past few weeks.

In the column "Jacobs’ visibility triggers questions of perception," reporter Steve Bornfeld writes that “KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment correspondent Alicia Jacobs has leapt from mere reporter to marquee attraction recently:

“In February, she toted a puppy to Danny Gans' Encore opening, a controversy climaxing when Bonnie Hunt dissed her on her daytime show. Then the Holly Madison Hoo-Ha… L'Affair Prejean… (and) finally, her closeness to Gans drew her into the story of his tragic death as family friend and source speculating on his health.”

Bornfeld quotes an ivory-tower Sig Gissler ethics type who criticize Jacobs’ spotlight-seeking tendencies, and himself mentions her “frequent bold-face mentions in Norm Clarke's R-J column.


Alicia Jacobs, we pointed out on May 3rd, was the first media figure to be informed of Gans’ death. Gans’ manager Chip Lightman phoned her at four a.m. (according to her and Lightman’s accounts), minutes after paramedics pronounced Gans dead in his home in a Las Vegas suburb. Jacobs spoke openly about her long friendship with Gans, but in the days and weeks to follow, began to orchestrate the coverage, generate the mythmaking. And in the case of her executive producer’s “husband,” was connected with an effort to stop this news organization’s investigation.

"There's a difference between
professional relationships
and personal friendships,
especially one as strongly and
publicly evident as Jacobs and Gans.
...It creates an appearance
of potential bias --
viewers/readers wondering if
a reporter-friend would conceal
unflattering or damaging information."

-- Las Vegas Review-Journal

Most disturbing was the fact that hours after she told Tabloid Baby in an exclusive interview that she had no idea what could have caused Gans' untimely death, she and Lightman went to columnist Norm Clarke to claim they knew he had high blood pressure and a family history of heart trouble.

Writes Bornfeld:

“Bias-in-reverse issues do likewise with Gans stories.

“'Don't I have a chance to do that story before I'm judged?’ Jacobs asks about any post-autopsy follow-ups. ‘Don't I deserve that opportunity?’

“Absolutely. But that misses the point. This isn't necessarily about the reality of the coverage by the end, but the skepticism viewers could bring going in.

“Reporters cultivate connections with sources that require a casual cordiality, but there's a difference between professional relationships and personal friendships, especially one as strongly and publicly evident as Jacobs and Gans. Many news outlets discourage it not because it's a guarantee of biased coverage, but because it creates an appearance of potential bias -- viewers/readers wondering if a reporter-friend would conceal unflattering or damaging information. What a shame to sow doubts over reporting that turns out perfectly balanced.

"'I've proven I have ethics, that I'm a solid reporter and have never misled viewers,’ Jacobs says. ‘And I have integrity, which is everything.’

“Jacobs' journalistic ethics and integrity are not questioned here. Her judgment is.”

Perhaps those among the Las Vegas media who called us “insane” or “crazy” for covering the Gans mystery while everyone else waits patiently—for weeks now— for a coroner’s toxicology report that will pass through many hands before reaching the public—will admit that maybe the Tabloid Baby team isn’t insane after all, but perhaps just quicker. Less lazy. With less concern for politesse. And fewer conflicts of interest.

Review-Journal editor Tom Mitchell blogged of his pride in the LVRJ coverage in the 48 hours following Gans’ death. He must have had second thoughts after seeing a comparison of his paper’s own scant bordering-on-coverup coverage with the work of hungry tabloid journos who know a great story when they see one.

Danny Gans memorial at 3 pm today

Friends, fans and firefighters will gather at Danny Gans' former showroom for his memorial service this afternoon. The 3 pm ceremony at the 1600-seat Encore Theatre will feature speakers including Steve Wynn, Donnie & Marie Osmond and mob lawyer-turned mayor Oscar Goodman.

Says Norm Clarke of The Las Vegas Review-Journal: "The celebrity vocal impressionist will be remembered for his grit that lifted him from a career-ending baseball injury to a 13-year headliner run as one of the top acts in Las Vegas."


The service had been announced as invitation-only, but as we reported exclusively yesterday, free tickets were distributed to ordinary Vegas folk through a ticket service (co-owned by Gans' manager, Chip Lightman).

Dans had begun a longterm engagement at the Encore three months before he died in his sleep on May 1st. He was 52. The coroner has still not announced why.

TabloidBaby,com will have a complete reporrt from the scene.

Video: Brett Hudson on the TV show Extra, talking about Farrah Fawcett, cancer, alternative answers and The Klinik movie

Mickey Mouse is dead

Wayne Allwine, who was the voice of Mickey Mouse for more than three decades, has died at 62.

The Walt Disney voiceover artist was also an Emmy Award-winning former sound effects editor and foley artist. He married Russi Taylor in 1991.

She was the voice of Minnie Mouse.


Wayne was only the third person to voice Mickey Mouse. His first appearance as Mickey was voicing the animated lead-ins for The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1977. His first appearance as Mickey for a theatrical release was in the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol.

He died of complications of diabetes Monday morning at UCLA Medical Center.

A Tabloid Baby shout out and condolences to Jon Crowley.

Adam Lambert is a superstar from outer space. He is the intergalactic idol.

Adam Lambert, America's Idol

Las Vegas writer Steve Friess finds it "strange" that ordinary folk are being invited to Danny Gans' memorial

Steve Friess, the Las Vegas comp queen, Gay Vegas author and Vegas freelance writer to the world, has finally discovered something "strange" in the case of the death of Danny Gans-- and it's the fact that ordinary Las Vegans are being invited to Gans' memorial service.

We reported this morning that at least one Las Vegas ticket service was inviting Gans' neighbors to celebrate his life in the 3 p.m. show at the Encore Theatre, and we described it as a "nice gesture to Gans' hometown fans."

Friess, whose story in the Las Vegas Weekly a week after Gans' death opened with him and his "husband" in bed, wondering "who's going to care" about Gans' passing, copied our report on his blog this afternoon and referred to the regular folks as "seatfillers."

Seatfillers.

He writes:

"I find this a bit strange.

"Isn't that a little odd and awkward? I mean, is someone concerned about the room not looking quite full enough? It's a memorial -- in fact, it's been referred to in various media accounts as a 'private; memorial -- not a show or a popularity contest. They sent out all these invitations to friends, family, media folk, etc. It's nice that they're opening it up to the public, I suppose, but then they're not really. You have to have tickets..."

How out of touch is this guy?

Friess' concern with the unwashed mixing with the Vegas elite (treating them like people hired at an awards show to fill in empty seats to make the room seem full) seems bizarre in light of the fact that Friess insisted publicly that Gans' death was not worth of reportage because he was such a regular guy. His obsession with being part of the "in crowd," however, may explain his crusade to prevent this news organization from covering the Gans death mystery. His public tantrum, which included name-calling, an attempt to shut down this site, and as he admitted in an email, helping concoct false rumours connecting Wayne Newton and Mayor Oscar Goodman to Gans' death (see kvbcsecrets@yahoo.com and ask for Anony Mouse), was apparently connected to the fact that his "husband" is executive producer of Alicia Jacobs, the beauty queen-turned-TV reporter and longtime Gans chum who was the first journo to be notified of his death and has been a determined promoter of his legend ever since.


"Miles shook me awake last Friday at about 7:30 a.m.

“'I need you to wake up,' he said. 'You need to get up. Now.'

"I was confused. I’d told him I didn’t need to be up until 8. But he looked grave.

“'Danny Gans died in his sleep this morning,' he said.

"My bleary look gave way to a puzzled one. It was the only reaction to such strange and awful news. How does a 52-year-old health nut die in his sleep?

"Here are my first and second comments, in this order: 'Oh, that’s so sad.' Then, after a long pause: 'But I wonder who’s going to care.'

"Yes, that sounds cold. But I meant—and Miles got it immediately—who in the national media will recognize this passing as a significant story? That’s my job and to some extent my function in this community, to determine what of the local news rises to the level of broader significance and interest, and which publication is going to want me to document it..."

Friess, who had a story appear in the New York Times that day (it was about a plastic surgery convention) apparently paid the price for his ignorance about what makes a national story. The New York Times was one national news organization that wanted the story, and today the biggest story of his career was the subject of a New York Times feature by Dan Barry.

(Note: Steve Friess threatens us any time we use an actual picture of him,
so we have to improvise...)

UPDATE: Steve Friess sent us an email: "The NYT has cut back dramatically in all areas as it struggles to avert bankruptcy and is not taking any freelance for their arts coverage. I'm in fine stead with the sections of the Times I write for regularly and have several new assignments at this time. Thanks for your heartfelt concern."

Steve cut off our ability to reply to her emails so we'll reply here: "The New York Times story wasn't an 'arts' story but a news feature in the Times' National section. And if the Times is going bankrupt, it can thank freelancers like you who wouldn't know a story if it bit him on his big spanked ass!"

Question for the New York Times: What "bloggers are swapping dark speculations about depression" in Danny Gans case?

"Mr. Gans was 52 when he died in his sleep on May 1. Although the Clark County Coroner's Office has yet to reveal the cause of death, bloggers are swapping dark speculations about depression. Mr. Lightman, Mr. Gans' manager, cringes at the gossip. 'This was a very happy time in Danny's life,' he said."

-- The New York Times

As far as we know, the only journalist who intimated that Danny Gans was "down in the dumps" on the day he died was Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Selected photos from the New York Times slideshow.