Charlie Daniels, Ventriloquist Jay Johnson
Dec. 11, 2014- 6-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & The Web
Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)
Charlie Daniels and Ventriloquist Jay Johnson guests on Las Vegas Backstage Talk with Comedian Michele LaFong.
The Charlie Daniels Band will bring their unique blend of country, southern rock and Christian music to The Orleans Showroom, December 12 and 13, as part of Boyd Gaming’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo entertainment line-up.
During the course of Charlie Daniels’ 50-plus year career, he has scored hits on the rock, country, pop and Christian charts and has received numerous awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM), TNN/Music City News Awards and the Gospel Music Association (GMA). Daniels was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
Born in Wilmington, N.C., Daniels was raised on a variety of music that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands, rhythm & blues and country.
His signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” topped both country and pop charts, bringing him international recognition. The single was certified platinum, earned three CMA awards, became a cornerstone of the soundtrack for the movie “Urban Cowboy” and propelled Daniels’ “Million Mile Reflections” album to triple platinum sales levels.
CHARLIE DANIELS: PLAYING “THE LEGEND” FORWARD WITH NEW TRIBUTE CD — OFF THE GRID – DOIN’ IT DYLAN
His first new album project release since 2007, Off The Grid is Dylan the Daniels way and the result is sheer musical genius.
Ventriloquist Jay Johnson
Ventriloquist Jay Johnson releases his Tony Award-winning show The Two & Only! The DVD can still be ordered in time for Christmas!
Jay Johnson made his Broadway debut at the Helen Hayes Theatre starring in the show he wrote and performed entitled “Jay Johnson: The Two and Only”. It won him the 2007 Tony Award for Best Special theatrical Event. Four months before the Broadway opening “Jay Johnson: The Two and Only” played the Colony Theatre were it won the Los Angeles Ovation award for Best Solo Show. The show was originally produced Off-Broadway the previous season at Atlantic Theatre company where it earned rave reviews and a Lucille Lortel Award nomimation.
Jay is a writer, comic, ventriloquist, poet, magician and puppeteer. He has written and performed in television specials for NBC, CBS, HBO and made hundreds of appearances on variety specials and talk shows like “The Tonight Show” (with Jay Leno and Johnny Carson) and “The David Letterman Show”. He has been featured in more that 30 national commercials. His acting credits include appearances on “CSI”, “That &70’s Show”, “Dave’s World”, “Night Court”, “Broken Badges” and many other shows that have come and gone. But he is best remembered for his role as the schizophrenic ventriloquist “Chuck and Bob” on the classic ABC television comedy “Soap”.
Jay and his wife, dancer Sandi Asbury, have been married for more than 38 years. They met while performing together at a theme park in Houston, Texas. Jay describes Sandi as the muse of his artistic life. They have two amazing sons, Brandon and Taylor. Although neither son pursued a career in ventriloquism, one teaches and studies languages in Berlin and the other is completing a degree in Linguistics at UCLA.
Actor Nick Turturro, Comedian Vic Dibitetto
Dec. 4, 2014- 6-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & The Web
Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)
(Nick Turturro, Left)
Actor Nick Turturro partners up with Comedian Vic Dibitetto in Mall Cop 2. They both guest on Las Vegas Backstage Talk with Comedian Michele LaFong together, and separately.
Nicholas Turturro, Jr. was the youngest of three children born to carpenter Nicholas Turturro, Sr. and his wife, Katherine. Following in his brother John’s footsteps, Turturro majored in theater at Adelphi University but dropped out after two years to marry the mother of his child. While working as a hotel doorman in the late 1980s, Turturro was introduced by his brother John to Spike Lee, while the soon-to-be-famous director was shooting “Do the Right Thing.” Taking a liking to the young actor, Lee wrote the younger Turturro a part alongside his brother John in his next project, “Mo’ Better Blues” (1990). Lee would subsequently hire both the Turturro brothers for his next two follow-up projects, the controversial “Jungle Fever” (1991) and the well-received biopic “Malcolm X” (1992).
The actor’s greatest success, however, would come on television. In 1993, Turturro won the role of the good-natured Detective James Martinez on “NYPD Blue.” Though originally written for a Latino actor, the Italian-American Turturro made the character his own; immersing himself deeply in the “Nuyorican” (slang for New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent) culture and adopting mannerisms appropriate for the character. Paired alongside Gordon Clapp’s bumbling Detective Greg Medavoy, Turturro and Clapp brought the usually somber “NYPD Blue” a welcome lightness and spark of humor. A tough cop with a true heart of gold, Turturro’s quiet and dependable performance earned the actor two Emmy nods – first in 1994; then again in 1997 – for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In 2000, however, Turturro decided that the Martinez character had run its course. Written out of the show with an off-screen promotion, Turturro left “NYPD Blue” after its seventh season; while, leaving the door open for a possible return.
Post-“Blue,” Turturro remained quite busy with steady, if unremarkable work as a guest star on such shows as “The Twilight Zone” (UPN, 2002-03), “Tremors: the Series” (Sci-Fi Channel, 2003-04) and “Third Watch” (NBC, 1999-2005). In 2006, Turturro revealed his ruthlessly competitive side when he appeared as a contestant on “Celebrity Fit Club 2” (VH1, 2005- ). Later that year, Turturro returned to the big screen with a feature role in director Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” (2006). Turturro popped up the following year with a turn in the fireman-posing-as-gay-couple comedy “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007). After a small appearance in the Ice Cube-Tracy Morgan comedy “First Sunday” (2008), the actor played the trainer of controversial boxing legend Sonny Liston (Ving Rhames) in the sports biopic “Phantom Punch” (2008). For a more personal project, Turturro co-wrote and starred in the immigration comedy-drama “The Deported” (2009) alongside his young son, Nicholas Turturro III. There was another supporting role in the heist movie “Takers” (2010), in addition to portraying Sgt. Anthony Renzulli, the partner of rookie cop Jamie Reagan (Will Estes) in the police-drama series “Blue Bloods” (CBS, 2010- ). Turturro turned in a pair of quick cameos for his pal in the Sandler produced comedies “Zookeeper” (2011) and “Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star” (2011), then joined the cast of the slasher flick “Nurse 3D” (2012), starring Paz de la Huerta as a dedicated by deadly caregiver.
Comedian Vic Dibitetto
Comedian Vic Dibitetto has been headlining comedy clubs around the country for over 30 years. He became an internet sensation when he posted a comedic video on YouTube that went viral and caught the attention on Comedian Kevin James. He called Vic personally to ask him to be in Mall Cop Blart 2 teamed-up with Actor Nick Turturro. He is currently filming at Wynn through next week.
TweetDec. Las Vegas Backstage Talk column
by Michele LaFong
Las Vegas Backstage Talk syndicated column in Casino Player Magazine and Gaming Today.
Dec. LVBST column 2014
It was obvious from the over 1400 people that turned out for The Next Generation show at The M Casino last month that this multi-media production show concept starring sons and daughters of show-biz legends backed by a big band shows promise of being a winner if built upon correctly, the casting played with and is executed a little more creatively. Since this was a first-time effort by Producer Patty Asher, I’m sure many lessons were learned, and adjustments will be made as with any new first time production. The order for the line-up of the evening went as follows: Lena Prima, daughter of Louis Prima, Steve March Torme, son of Mel Torme, Ricci Martin, son of Dean Martin, and Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland. Anthony Lewis, son of Jerry Lewis was cast as the Master of Ceremonies, and this could not have surprised me more because several months ago when Anthony Lewis guested live in-studio on Las Vegas Backstage Talk, he had made it quite clear then that he was strictly a “behind the scenes production guy,” and had zero aspirations of being a performer or being in front of the camera, or crowd…and that’s still the impression that he left even after watching him host this show.
A very crucial yet common mistake that many producers make is in thinking that anyone can emcee an event if the line-up is good… “All they have to do is introduce the acts.” This cannot be less true. The Last Comic Standing show at The Aliante Casino made this same mistake in having the road manager for Last Comic Standing’s road shows emcee their show of headliners last September.
The master of ceremonies makes the first impression of the evening’s presentation and is responsible for setting the tone, warming-up the crowd, establishing a rapport with the audience, and taking charge of the pacing of the show. This means that they need to have the skill and ability to ad-lib comfortably and tune-in to what the audience needs and is experiencing…all of which requires a certain amount of comfort and confidence on-stage, good timing, experience, artfulness, preparation, and a sense of humor. And that’s just for starters. Hence the “master” in the title- Master of Ceremonies which was obviously extremely overlooked or misunderstood in Patty’s casting of her husband, Anthony Lewis in the MC role in which he appeared uncomfortable and unprepared for when he hit the stage and immediately started reading the show introduction off a card. This not only set the wrong tone to the packed pavilion right off the bat, but also made it difficult for his fellow co-stars to build any kind of momentum when one by one they were thrown to an un-warmed up, now skeptical crowd. A much better and obvious choice for the emcee position would have been veteran performer Steve March-Torme, who comes off warm and inviting and connects well with audiences with humor and ease. Comedian Sandy Hackett, son of Buddy Hackett, would have also been another good choice as he specializes and has a passion for emceeing, and should be considered for future shows. Adding a comedian to this line-up would also add a little more variety to the mix. Desi Arnaz Jr., and sister, Lucy Arnez are also other stars worth pursuing for future shows, and I can only imagine the footage and creativity that they could bring to this type of production.
The beauty of this show concept is that the cast can be interchangeable, and with the help of the stars’ respective rare personal footage integrated on the large video screens, I believe this show can have broad national and international appeal. In future productions, I would hope to see more moving personal stories integrated into the artists’ sets, father/son/ daughter duets, (like the “Unforgettable” duet with Nat King Cole and daughter Natalie,) some running gags, and for the finale… all the artists on-stage singing and interacting together with a close that allows them to shine individually as well as together to a carefully picked song with lyrics that are relevant and capture the spirit of The Next Generation. In the meantime unless Anthony Lewis makes the decision that he would like to be in front of an audience and is willing to commit to putting the time into working out material and to getting experience on different stages, I’m sure with his extensive background in production he can contribute much more behind the scenes than in front of the audience while still utilizing his name in the credits.
Television talk show Host Wendy Williams is another one that decided to step out of her comfort zone and try stand-up comedy as she announced on her Talk show several months ago. At that time, her intent was to go to small clubs and try out material but before she could even do that she was invited by The Venetian to make her comedy debut on their weekend female comedy series Lipshtick. I finally went to see Wendy’s show which was sold-out for the second time. I loved that she had her comedy coach Luenell open for her as she is simply a laugh-riot. I think Wendy is on the right track with her story-telling style and I’m sure will develop many more needed punchlines and running-gags as she matures in her comedy, and very strongly prefer her to stay away from raw low-level comedy or bathroom humor, as it just doesn’t seem to fit with her already established persona. She is passed that and doesn’t need to go there. I would leave that very blue humor to Luenell, as she pulls it off quite masterfully.
One never knows what to expect on a live show. Last month we aired Singer Jack Jones’ interview and have a short video clip posted on casinocenter.com of Jack in-studio taking a cell phone call while in the middle of a live radio interview!
Singer Jack Jones takes personal cell phone call on live radio
My picks: Hank Williams Junior, Golden Nugget, December 4- 6, Heart, Mandalay Bay, December 5-7, Train, Better Than Ezra, Matt Nathanson, Hard Rock Hotel, December 5, Amy Schumer, Cosmopolitan, December 6, Merle Haggard, Golden Nugget, December 7 & 8, Olivia Newton John, Flamingo, December 9-13, December 30-January 3, Alabama, Golden Nugget, December 11 & 12th, The Shirelles, M casino, December 13, Tears For Fears, Palms, December 13, Three Dog Night, Eastside cannery, December 13, Tony Orlando Christmas show, South point, December 19- 21, Michael McDonald, Eastside Cannery, December 20, Jerry Seinfeld, Caesar’s Palace, December 26 & 27, Chris D’Elia, Mirage, December 27, Joe McHale, Mirage, December 29 & 30, Maroon 5, Mandalay Bay, December 30 and 31, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, The Cosmopolitan, Dec. 31
TweetBJ Thomas, Jackie Martling
Nov. 27, 2014 6pm-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & The Web
Happy Thanksgiving!
Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)
Singer BJ Thomas guests on “Las Vegas Backstage Talk” radio Show with Comedian Michele LaFong. LVBST radio show is the only show that “Gets Personal with the Stars.”
Five-time Grammy® Award winning hit-maker BJ Thomas will perform at the Suncoast Showroom.
In 1966, Thomas released his first hit record, a cover of Hank Williams classic, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” From 1967 to 1975, Thomas charted numerous hits, including: “The Eyes of a New York Woman,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “It’s Only Love,” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.”
Thomas is perhaps best-known for “Rain Drops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” featured in the 1969 movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and winner of an Academy Award® for “Best Original Song.” Since then, the song has been featured in numerous movies, including “Forrest Gump,” “Clerks II,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Spider-Man 2.”
During the ‘80s, Thomas’ music crossed over to the country charts with “Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love,” “New Looks from an Old Lover” and “Two Car Garage.” He became the 60th member of the Grand Old Opry in 1981.
In 1985, Thomas recorded “As Long As We’ve Got Each Other” which was later used as the theme song for the hit ABC sitcom, “Growing Pains.”
In 2007, he released his fourth holiday album, “Home for Christmas.”
BJ will be featured in Comedian Michele LaFong’s Monthly Syndicated “Las Vegas Backstage Talk” column in Casino Player Magazine, and will soon be featured in LaFong’s Syndicated “Getting Personal with the Stars” column in Gaming Today.
More about BJ Thomas here–>
Comedian – Jackie ‘The Joke Man’ Martling
Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling guests on LVBST and will talk about his experiences on “The Howard Stern Show,” and his life on stage, and off, since leaving.
While touring as a national headliner, Martling released three comedy lp’s, 1979’s “What Did You Expect?,” 1980’s “Goin’ Ape!,” and 1981’s “Normal People Are People You Don’t Know That Well.” He blindly sent the three LP’s to Howard Stern upon Howard’s arrival at WNBC-AM in New York City in 1982, and Howard called him to make a guest appearance on his radio show. in 1986, Jackie became a full-time cast member and the head writer of Stern’s show.
Jackie left the show in 2001 after fifteen-year run as head writer of the radio show, four television series, and three Pay-Per-Views.
He still works all around the country, performing his solo act of rapid-fire filthy jokes and the classic finale, “Stump The Joke Man,” is about to release a CD of his original music entitled “Happy Endings,” and is currently doing his own radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio 101, “Jackie’s Joke Hunt.
Jackie Martling’s videotaped interview on LVBST with Comedian Michele LaFong is posted on lasvegasbackstagetalk.com
More about Jackie Martling here–>
TweetComedian Anjelah Johnson, Comedian Jeff Wayne
Nov. 20, 2014 6pm-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & Web
Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)
Comedian Anjelah Johnson guests on Las Vegas Backstage Talk radio show with Comedian Michele LaFong.
Known best for her work on MADtv, comedian Anjelah Johnson returns to the Orleans Showroom November 21 and 22.
A video of Johnson’s bit “Nail Salon” skyrocketed her into online stardom around the same time she earned a recurring role on the sketch comedy series MADtv in 2007 and 2008. Her infamous MADtv character Bon Qui Qui, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been watched by more than
55 million YouTube viewers.
In 2009, Johnson recorded her first one-hour special for Comedy Central and Warner Brothers Records titled “That’s How We Do It.” Her second one-hour special, “The Homecoming Show,” aired on NUVOtv in July 2013 and is currently available on DVD.
As an actress, Johnson has starred in and lent her voice to numerous films including “The Box,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” “Marmaduke” and “Our Family Wedding.” On TV, Johnson has guest starred on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “On the Up” and “Ugly Betty.”
Johnson began her career as a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. As an Oakland Raiderette, she was named Rookie of the Year in 2002 and performed in Super Bowl XXXVII. She credits cheering on the Raiders for helping her make the transition to stand-up comedy.
Comedian Jeff Wayne
Comedian Jeff Wayne guests on LV Backstage Talk with Comedian Michele LaFong.
If you are one of those millions of radio listeners who follow the comedy channels on, Sirius/XM, Slacker, Pandora’s Box, or any of the other myriad of outlets broadcasting stand-up comedy, you have heard of Jeff “Big Daddy” Wayne. Well he’s back beginning Monday through Sunday (11/17/2014), at the Comedy Club inside the Riviera Hotel & Casino.
A seasoned veteran of comedy clubs, concerts, luxury cruise ships, and television, Wayne is perhaps best known for his one-man show, “Big Daddy’s Barbeque,” (Grilling Food, Sex and Marriage), which had its Las Vegas premiere a couple of months ago in the Starbright Theater in Summerlin. “I am truly internationally unknown, and I love it!” he said. Originally, Wayne followed the one-man show, “Defending the Caveman,” for three years on the Improv Comedy Circuit, with the special “Barbeque” show. Originally a native of Kentucky, he now makes his home in Los Angeles, which he calls, “That big plastic taco out west.”
Kevin Nealon, Jack Jones
Nov. 13, 2014 6pm-7pm PST 1230AM in LV & Web
Audio of interviews posted below (Scroll down)
Comedian/Actor/SNL Alumni-Kevin Nealon and Singer Jack Jones guests on Las Vegas Backstage Talk radio show with Comedian Michele LaFong.
Kevin is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” and has received critical acclaim for his role in the current Showtime series “Weeds.”
As one of the longest running cast members on “SNL” (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including “The Subliminal Man” and “Hans and Franz.” He was also well-known for his recurring role as an anchor on “Weekend Update.” In 1988, he earned an Emmy Award® nomination as part of the “SNL” writing team.
In 2008, Nealon released his first book, “Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?” – a comical look at the male perspective of pregnancy.
More about Kevin Nealon here–>
Singer – Jack Jones
Jack Jones is live in-studio with Comedian Michele LaFong.
With a disarming smile, an effortlessly engaging wit and a vocal style that stands alone, Jack Jones is one of the greatest singers ranking with the legendary Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Vic Damone. A true Singers’ Singer. A double Grammy winner, Jack performs around the globe to sold-out audiences in venues ranging from Jazz clubs to the London Palladium. Whether he performs with his trio or full Symphony orchestra, his musical perfection and vocal passion unfailingly illustrate why he stands with the luminaries. From the thematic threads of his shows to his ability to make the largest halls intimate, Jack Jones is the very definition of a complete and total entertainer. The New York Times raves, “he is arguably the most technically accomplished male pop singer…” . There is only one Jack Jones. I love that he was the one that sang the Boat.”
More about Jack Jones here–>
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