Sinsational Celebrity Tales

From Norm’s Column March 18, 2008
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Vera Goulet, widow of the late singing star Robert Goulet, is flying to Los Angeles today to attend the funeral of Altovise Davis, the widow of Sammy Davis Jr. She died Saturday in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. She was 65. The Davises and Goulets were close friends for years and often traveled together. During one of their trips, a 1975 visit to rainy Paris, Vera Goulet said their limo pulled up to a stoplight. “Sammy got out of the limo and did his ‘Singing In the Rain’” (song and dance routine) in front of a disbelieving crowd. “It was spontaneous. This was his personality. Altovise just laughed and laughed.” When Robert died in October 2007, “the second call I got was Altovise. The first was Julie Andrews,” Robert’s Broadway co-star in “Camelot.”

SIGHTINGS
Steve Wynn and his girlfriend, Andrea Hissom, attending a birthday party for the wife of South African hotel and gambling magnate Sol Kerzner at The Dorchester in London on Saturday night. Also in attendance: Sarah Ferguson, Simon Le Bon and Geri Halliwell. … Famous sisters Joan and Jackie Collins, meeting with Cher backstage after her show Tuesday at Caesars Palace.

Recommended: Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke’s new book, Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales which is jam-packed with gossipy stories of (mostly) bad star behavior while cavorting in Sin City. Norm’s been on the Vegas entertainment beat since 1999. That he’s managed to keep a sense of humor about some of the insufferable stars he’s covered (including Jerry Lewis and Robin Williams) is remarkable.

From USA Today December 19, 2008:

For nearly a decade, Norm Clarke has tracked VIP high jinks for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His new Norm Clarke’s Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales (Stephens Press, $15.95) chronicles star turns that happened in Vegas, but didn’t stay there. He shares some with USA TODAY’s Kitty Bean Yancey.

Show-pals: Donny Osmond matches eyepatches with Norm Clarke. Clarke has worn one since a childhood injury. By Duane Prokop, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Q: Your book talks about Jennifer Aniston getting onstage at the Forty Deuce club to dance for Vince Vaughn, Britney Spears having to be helped out of Pure nightclub a couple of New Year’s Eves ago, the late Anna Nicole Smith coming on to Chippendales dancers. Celebs can play in L.A., too, so why do they go wild here?

A: It’s one-stop shopping. You can go from gambling to fine dining to clubs, even in one (casino resort). Celebs come to Vegas and have three shots of Cuervo and think they’re invisible.

Read entire article . . .

Norm Clarke is the “Las Vegas guru of gossip” states Los Angeles Times writer Richard Abowitz in a Sunday Calendar piece. “His column doesn’t just trade in stupid gossip,” states fellow Vegas chronicler Robin Leach in the article. “Norm understands that in Vegas, buildings are the stars, architects are the stars, chefs are the stars, and the whole city is the star. And as a result, he is the No. 1 read person in Vegas.”

In an interview with Abowitz, Norm talks of the “gilded age” of Las Vegas in the past decade, where celebrity excesses and ridiculous spending have been tempered by economic reality. He said being a celebrity gossip columnist in Las Vegas was a daily embarrassment of riches. “The news for the past decade has been the exploding city and celebrity aura that has all made for this city’s success. Now the story is how that is going to be affected”.

Read the article here: Los Angeles Times

Sunday also saw Norm’s former Denver home announcing Sinsational Celebrity Tales. Columnist Bill Husted headlined Norm as the the “guy with all the luck”. Husted wrote “Even when things go wrong for Norm Clarke, they go right. The former Denver sportswriter and columnist lost his right eye as a child. Now his eye patch is his trademark.” He goes on to tell of a years-ago Colorado lottery ticket he wasn’t trying to buy . . . that won.

Read the article here: The Denver Post

Red Rock Casino Resort Spa (Photo/bludgeoner86/)

Our first book signing got off to a strong start, with a spirited turnout Saturday at the Red Rock Casino Resort’s sport book.

One of the first couples in line bought 10 copies of Sinsational Celebrity Tales.

A very committed lady came directly from a nearby hospital to get one of the first books, her husband told us, as his wife moved gingerly in a back brace.

Two other early arrivals had a surprise for Norm: they were in town from Wolf Point, Montana, his home state, when they came upon signage for the event when they entered the Red Rock. They said they were in line to purchase books for Bud and Mary Helen Iwen of Helena. Bud, one of Montana’s finest sportscasters, was one of Norm’s best friends from his early sports writing days at the Helena Independent Record.

Karin Perozek, who moved to Las Vegas from Denver a year ago with her husband, Tim, said they were Rocky

Joan Collins <BR> (Courtesy Photo)

Mountain News readers during Norm’s years in the Mile High City. She bought a couple books and presented Norm with a book she and her husband wrote. It was titled Up Your Aspirations By Thinking Like a Kid and Earning Like a CEO.

We even had a request to personalize a book for British film star Joan Collins, an eighties icon for her role as the vindictive Alexis Carrington in Dynasty. The request came from Joan’s good friend, and ours, Judy Bryer of Las Vegas.

Our thanks to all, especially Red Rock’s PR princess Lori Nelson for organizing the event on her busiest week of the year, the opening of the Fertittas’ latest resort, Aliante Station.

Norm!

NEWSFLASH — NBC Channel 3’s coverage of Norm’s book launch bash at the Playboy Club atop the Palms in Las Vegas here.

KVBC’s Alicia Jacobs interviews Norm and surprise special guest Donny Osmond.

NEWSFLASH — NBC Channel 3’s coverage of Norm’s book launch bash at the Playboy Club atop the Palms in Las Vegas here.

KVBC’s Alicia Jacobs interviews Norm and surprise special guest Donny Osmond.