Claire Voyant - Las Vegas OnLine

Cousin Claire has been hanging out with and writing about show folk for more than three decades. She has been intrigued by who among these people has longevity, who seems to come from nowhere (an overnight sensation), have a career that lasts a few years and then fizzles into oblivion, and who is a flash in the pan or, as they are sometimes called, a one hit wonder. In trying to analyze the whys and wherefores of success or failure, much of it seems to be because many entertainers don't seem to realize that the "business" part of "show business" is often more important than the "show" part. Of course, there are exceptions. Locally, one smart cookie comes to mind. The name is Kelly Clinton.

Kelly's family moved to Las Vegas from Palisades Park, New Jersey, when she was 12. (She reminds that the 1962 Freddy Cannon hit, Palisades Park, was written be onetime Gong Show host, Chuck Barris. It‘s important information like this that keeps readers coming back week-after-week.)

Cousin Claire remembers Kelly when she was barely old enough to hang out in casinos, let alone perform in them, yet, that's what she was doing. Whether working with Mainstream at Frank Link's Maxim (now the Westin Casuarina) talent showcase, with Buddy Wilde or with her own band, The Purple Gang, one could see that this young lady had a future. We weren't the only ones who noticed.

Over the years, Ms. Clinton has worked as a backup singer for both Engelbert Humperdinck and Wayne Newton. Along with being a chick singer, the ham and bubbly personality came shining through... brightly. More than two decades later, it's still there. She's come a long way, baby. These days, Ms. Clinton is often behind the spotlight instead of in it. She is entertainment director for the exclusive Stirling Club, located across from the Las Vegas Hilton. Under the Clinton banner, the Stirling Club has presented acts such as David Pomeranz (Barry Manilow was in the audience for that one), Ms. Regi Brown, Parris Lane, Gayle Steele, vocal group Mosaic, Darcus, Loretta Holloway, Skye Miles, Sandra Benton and the Las Vegas Tenors (both collectively and individually).

It is not unusual for "guests" such as Bill Medley and Clint Holmes (Clinton's main squeeze) to drop by and do a tune or two. In addition to her duties at the Stirling Club, a number of the entertainment offerings at the Bootlegger Bistro are presented by Kelly Clinton, among them Shades of Sinatra, Celebrity Karaoke (running at the Bootlegger since 2003), and Sunday's Celebrity Spotlight, where you can see performers from the Strip and elsewhere in a different light.

Come this Sunday (August 5^th) Kelly will present someone she knows better than anyone else...herself. Yep, this weekend, Kelly Clinton will present Kelly Clinton. Using her idol, Carol Burnett, for inspiration, Ms. Clinton does a bit of everything, even taking on other characters (both male and female) to entertain audiences. We are sure there will be a few surprises but the Bootlegger crowd will probably be entertained by "Cher," "Ellie Clinton," "Wayne Newton," "Joe Joe Spaghetti Moretti" and, of course, "Kelvis." Audience members are in for a treat. The show starts at 8. Come early, have dinner and hang out. Call 736-4939 for reservations.

"Karaoke at the Bootlegger" by Megan Edwards
megan@meganedwards.com

ADVENTURES IN VEGASLAND

.........If my skeptical friends remain unconvinced that "Karaoke with Kelly Clinton" at the Bootlegger is a show worth catching, I figure it's their loss and extra space at the table for me. This is Las Vegas alive and evolving instead of canned and fossilized. It's real performers singing for each other and letting people like me listen in. I'll never get up and sing, but I sure do like to watch.

See the full article here

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"Lounging Around" by Jerry Fink
jerry@lasvegassun.com

LAS VEGAS SUN

Kelly Clinton, entertainment director at Turnberry Place's Stirling Club, has created a clever novelty act -- three Frank Sinatra tribute artists performing on the same stage.

"Shades of Sinatra" premiered Saturday night at the Stirling Club. Clinton, who portrays Nancy Sinatra ("These Boots are Made for Walkin' "), promises more shows in the future, but there are no firm dates.

The stars of the show include Clinton, Ryan Baker, Carmine Mandia and Larry Liso. 

"Each of them brings something a little different to the show," said Clinton, who also is the producer.

The entertainers perform separately, singing and sharing Sinatra stories, and sing several numbers together.

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March 11 2005
"A Little Bubbly" by Jerry Fink
jerry@lasvegassun.com

LAS VEGAS SUN WEEKEND EDITION
March 12-13 2005

Entertainer Kelly Clinton effervesces. She bubbles with enthusiasm regardless of what she might be doing, whether hosting celebrity karaoke at Bootlegger Bistro on Monday nights or performing Fridays and Saturdays at the exclusive Turnberry Place’s Stirling Club, where she is also entertainment director.

When Clinton is on she sings, clowns, does impressions, tells jokes, smiles, laughs, draws everyone around her into her world of fun. And she is rarely off.

Clinton moved to Vegas from New Jersey with her family at age 12.  Entertainment  has been the essence of her life since age 19. In 1983 she performed in a showcase at the now defunct Maxim and was chosen to join the casino’s house band, Mainstream. She was with Mainstream for two years, and went on to perform with Wayne Newton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sandy Hackett and a long list of other headliners.

Along the way she has performed as a comedian, an impressionist and (briefly) a television personality (on the now defunct TV talk show “Vegas Live!” with Clint Holmes and Sheena Easton).

Clinton, who declined to give her age, recently took time out to talk to the Las Vegas Sun about her latest gig as the entertainment director of the Stirling Club, where she is trying to recreate the atmosphere of old Las Vegas:

 

LV Sun	How is life treating you?
Kelly Clinton	Can I interview you first? Will you dance? Will you sing?
LV Sun	No. What is it like being the entertainment director of the Stirling Club?
Kelly Clinton	Actually I love it. I’m really enjoying it. It’s like being on both sides of the fence at once. I have much more respect for those in charge.
LV Sun	Have you ever done anything professionally besides entertain?
Kelly Clinton	I worked at a car wash when I was 18, which is how I paid for my first microphone.
LV Sun	What are your duties here?
Kelly Clinton	I sing on Friday and Saturday nights. I book the entertainment for Wednesdays and Thursdays. I book bands to do parties.
LV Sun	How did you get the gig?
Kelly Clinton	Michael Emery, the general manager, approached me about singing here. He had seen me on the television show “Vegas Live” and he asked me what was I doing now that the show isn’t on the air anymore. I told him I was doing what I had been doing forever, singing and being crazy. He said “Why don’t you sing here?”. He offered me the job with just the piano player and myself. I thought, I don’t know. The Stirling Club? A gown, a microphone and a piano? Do they know what I do? Anyway Michael came to the Bootlegger and  heard me sing and offered me a few weeks here. Then they invited me back a few times. They liked me and then they had the idea for me to be the entertainment director.
LV Sun	How did your Friday and Saturday night shows evolve?
Kelly Clinton	When I first came in to sing, some of my friends that sing would come in and sit with the band. It was kind of loose and fun and people liked it. Gordie Brown, Clint Holmes, Bill Faye, even Sheena Easton came in. I guess the management liked the energy of what was happening and thought maybe this was a way to get things going – kind of hangout for entertainers and singers – and the residents and members responded well. A lot of comments I get are like “There’s life happening again in the room. It was a little too quiet for a while.”
LV Sun	You have other entertainers on Wednesdays and Thursdays. What do they do?
Kelly Clinton	We ask singers to start out with dinner kind of music, but later on it usually turns into a party. We have someone different every week. Once, Bill Fayne, Clint Holmes’ musical director, did a special night. We  had “Shades of Sinatra” – three Frank Sinatra tribute artists on one stage. We’re doing that again (Saturday). I’m the only female member of the Elvis Choir – nine Elvises and me. We did a convention party recently and I talked all of them into coming over here in Elvis suits – full garb. It was so much fun. The people here didn’t know what hit them when we came in. It was like the invasion of the Elvises. Nobody recognized me.
LV Sun	Who is in your trio?
Kelly Clinton	Howie Gold on piano. Paul Stubblefield on drums and vocals and Tom Steele on everything – saxophone, flute, clarinet, keyboards and vocals. He’s 12 guys in one.
LV Sun	What do you like abut the gig?
Kelly Clinton	The chance to perform Friday and Saturday nights. I can try all kinds of different songs. I can sing every song I ever wanted to and with the caliber of musicians I can do anything. Also, I get to hire people I admire, like (vocalist) Denise Clemente. It’s exciting. I’m working on some new ideas too, sort of like “Shades of Sinatra” and the Elvis Choir.
LV Sun	You’re very busy. What else are you working on?
Kelly Clinton	“The Entertainer”, Wayne Newton’s reality show. I worked with Wayne many years ago as a backup singer. He called me when they were filming “The Entertainer” and said he would like me to come in and do a special spot on the show – I can’t tell you what it is because it hasn’t aired yet, but the contestants had to work us into their act, myself and this comedian/singer. The had to work us into their act within 10 minutes – stuff goes on, but I can’t tell you what it is.
LV Sun	Are you doing any recording?
Kelly Clinton	I would love to record. So far my only original song is “The PMS Blues”.
LV Sun	There have been a lot of changes in Vegas since you first arrived. Are they for the better or worse?
Kelly Clinton	Vegas is still a really special place. I’ve gotten to meet some of my heroes – Tony Bennett, Engelbert Humperdinck. But the entertainment isn’t as much about entertainers as it used to be.
LV Sun	You’ve spent your entire adult life as an entertainer. What’s the worst part about the business?
Kelly Clinton	The uncertainty. It’s so unpredictable. But that’s also part of the excitement.

 

Entertainment in Las Vegas has evolved over the years, but on any given weekend in the Stirling Club’s piano lounge, multi-talented performer Kelly Clinton takes members on a journey back to the era of the Rat Pack and headlining names gracing all the hotel marquees.

“The stage becomes a jam session where Strip entertainers perform after their shows and end their evening with a bang.” said Clinton, entertainment director of the Stirling Club. “The show at the club is the closest thing to the way Las Vegas was when the Rat Pack and headliners would perform up and down the Strip.

Clinton, whose act mixes comedy and music, has garnered a regular following of club members, guests and other performers who want to become a part of the hottest ticket in town. Hosting celebrities is nothing new to the Stirling Club, which has been a gathering place for a variety of actors, comedians and singers since its opening in 2001. George Hamilton, James Caan, Rita Rudner and others have all been spotted in the Club.

According to Strip Headliner and guest performer at the club’s piano lounge, Clint Holmes, there’s no other place in Las Vegas like the Stirling Club.

“Because the club is private and not associated with a casino, it offers a different kind of venue for entertainers” Holmes said. “There’s a great energy and party-like atmosphere found there every weekend.”

Clinton discovered that energy at the club about a year and a half ago when she began singing in the piano lounge accompanied only by a piano player. She had just wrapped up work on the former “Vegas Live!” television show featuring Sheena Easton and Clint Holmes.

“I was asked to do a short engagement and I must have done something right because they asked me to come back,” she said. “When I came back I added a drummer, a saxophone and then a bass player.”

Clinton’s band was not the only change at the piano lounge. Word spread fast among the local entertainment industry about Clinton’s act and a host of entertainers began to take notice and stop in to perform.

“When my fellow performer heard what was happening here, they wanted to join in on the fun,” Clinton said. “Gordie Brown, the 5^th Dimension’s Billy Davis Jr and Marilyn McCoo, singer Jack Jones, Bill Medley from the Righteous Brothers, the Scintas, Sheena Easton and more have taken the stage and celebrated with the crowd in the piano lounge. We all do shows so it’s hard to get to sing with one another. Now we have a venue where we can lay back, chill out and sing together.

The venue is home to Kelly Clinton on Friday and Saturday nights from 8.30 to 12.30 am. When Clinton is not on stage, she makes sure it’s outfitted with top-notch entertainment on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Recent acts at the club include Shades of Sinatra, a trio that performs a tribute to Sinatra, with Clinton as Nancy Sinatra, Reggie Brown who performs with legendary singer Gladys Knight, the Three Tenors of Las Vegas whose songs range from opera to rock ‘n’ roll, and Jennifer Joseph, runner-up in Wayne Newton’s reality show “The Entertainer” and current back-up sing4r for Newton’s show at the Hilton.

Clinton has been in the entertainment industry since she was 19 years old. She grew up in Las Vegas and has performed as a comedian, in film, on television and on stage along with Engelbert Humperdinck, Newton and more.

Her versatility has shined throughout her career, but she admits that this is a very special time in her career and a great time to be a part of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas. “So many performers are fascinated by the headliners era in the city and how they used to get together after their shows. They want to keep that feeling alive and that’s what we’re doing at the club,” she said.

Clinton also possesses a passion for mixing comedy and music into her act.

“I am fortunate that I can do both at the club” she said. “It’s almost like a variety show where I can do it all. I emcee, I sing and I tell jokes. The best part about it is in the interaction with the crowd.

According to Clinton, a lively crowd fills the lounge every weekend in anticipation of who might stop in that night.

“I’ve worked with a lot of great entertainers and made a lot of friends over the years,” she said. “You never know who might come by to surprise me.”