Luxe Life Blog

Strip Scribbles: Michael Jackson birthday tribute set for 4 days in Gary

Posted August 8, 2012 • 4:11 p.m.

Blanket Jackson, Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson and friends at the "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" red carpet at Mandalay Bay on Dec. 3, 2011.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/HarrisonPhotos.com

Las Vegas publicist Jerry Olivarez, who works with movie theater owner Johnny Brenden at the Palms, is masterminding four days of events honoring Michael Jackson over his Aug. 29 birthday at his Gary, Ind., birthplace.

“Going Back to Indiana: Can You Feel It” is endorsed by Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson. All three plan for it to become an annual event.

Jerry tells me that the events start Aug. 29 with a candlelight tribute ceremony at Michael’s original home on 2300 Jackson St. in Gary, where fans and friends will be invited to place ribbons and mementos and share thoughts on a banner. On Aug. 30, Michael’s three children Prince, Paris and Blanket will attend the Gary South Shore Railcats baseball game, where they will be presented with team uniforms and toss the first pitch.

The tribute weekend wraps Sept. 1 with a concert by the City of Gary’s West Side Theater Guild and a performance by Gratitude Project of their original composition “Dear Michael” dedicated to Katherine and her family.

WICKED WHISPERS & RACY RUMORS

Although she vowed never to tour again, Barbra Streisand has announced October dates for East Coast concerts, and I’m hearing discussions are continuing in hopes for one of the tour stops to hit Las Vegas.

Singer Pink will start a 14-month concert tour next year, and Hard Rock Hotel tattoo salon owner and hubby Carey Hart is along for the ride with their daughter Willow in between his supercross team bookings.

Which star on the Las Vegas entertainment scene has requested a trip through the friendly skies on an F16 flight at Nellis Air Force Base?

Which two superstars plan to celebrate their joint birthdays together here next spring and perform for each other and their showbiz pals?

LVMS FILMING & NASCAR NEWS: As part of a PBS series about empowered women, cameras will follow Las Vegas native and resident Michele Abbate next week out at the Bullring in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Two days of filming are set for Michelle, who is a sports car driver for the Women and Girls Lead program.

Las Vegas NASCAR fans can take part in the launch of the first NASCAR Contenders Live -- kicking off today, fans could win a 2012 Toyota Camry SE, two tickets to the first NASCAR Contenders Live sponsored by Toyota and the Sprint fan event, two VIP tickets and two VIP passes to attend the NASCAR race at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 16, a one-year subscription to Sirius XM Satellite radio and $500 cash. Go to NASCAR.com/ContendersLive to enter the sweepstakes until Aug. 30.

VIDEO DJs: X, Tryst, Encore and Surrender have unveiled a video to give EDM fans a behind-the-scenes look at Steve Wynn’s playgrounds. The featured DJs include Tiesto, Avicii, David Guetta, Skrillex, Afrojack and more.

That lineup of DJ superstars is already set for Labor Day Weekend, along with Deadmau5, Max Vangeli and Steve Angello. Meantime, DJ Steve Aoki has a new video, “Livin’,” with an interview filmed at Peppermill on the Strip about touring, producing, his summer anthem with nightclub crowd surfing on his inflatable raft and champagne spraying of the dancers. It’s part of the original online video series OneBeat. Here are Steve’s concert and the Peppermill interview.

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAYS: Two stars who turn 40 this month include Cameron Diaz and Ben Affleck, both of whom have wax doubles on show at Madame Tussauds in the Venetian. Officials there want everybody celebrating their 40th before Aug. 31 to enjoy the museum with complimentary admission.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

Yes, that was definitely former President Bill Clinton at chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Caesars Palace on Tuesday night. He was in a group of 14 people that included our commander Brian Greenspun. The 42nd U.S. president is obviously on a diet because he stuck to a specially prepared vegan dish of pan-seared tofu created by chef Eric Klein.

You’ll be forgiven if you think William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and other cast members of the “Star Trek” series are seen around town this weekend as more than 1,000 Trekkies are expected for the weekend-long annual Star Trek convention. Crown at the Rio hosts the opening party Friday.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Beck is at the Pearl at the Palms. Lisa Pittman will be the guest DJ at Insert Coin(s) downtown on Fremont Street. Be sure to check out my pal George Hamilton in “La Cage Aux Folles” at Reynolds Hall in the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Chefs from the Venetian and the Palazzo demonstrate their expertise in carving ice, fruit, sugar and cheese at the Palazzo’s waterfall atrium and gardens as part of the continuing Carnevale celebration.

TOMORROW’S TEASE

A major exodus of Las Vegas chefs leaves town for four days of blowout culinary events in L.A. organized by Wolfgang Puck, plus more Counter Intelligence news of our restaurant scene.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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