Music

Priscilla Presley: Always Evolving

We may know things about peoples’ lives, but that doesn’t mean we know what’s in their hearts or understand the journey they’ve been on. That is true for all of us, but especially celebrities who are the subject of so much hearsay and gossip. That’s why it’s important to remember that speculation isn’t fact and rumors aren’t the truth and both can be destructive.

Take Priscilla Presley for instance. The public knows her as the only wife of Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll” and the mother of their only child, Lisa Marie Presley, who was once married to Michael Jackson. But what else do we really know about her?

Sinatra and Sammy Remembered!

By Marsala

On December 11, 2010, the night before what would have been Frank Sinatra’s 95^th birthday, I was at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas for the premier of SINATRA: Dance With Me, a show conceived, choreographed and directed by the renowned classical, jazz and contemporary dancer and choreographer, Twyla Tharp, who I interviewed in January 2008.

SINATRA: Dance With Me follows four couples who fall in and out of love at a night club. The show, which has no dialogue, blends the original master recordings of Frank Sinatra with a 17-piece orchestra and performances by 14 of the world’s most talented dancers who weave romance and seduction into classic standards like Fly Me to the Moon, That’s Life, and My Way.

As I sat transfixed by the artists’ fluid movements and Sinatra’s famous phrasing, the Ghost of Christmas Past brought me back to another time when Las Vegas was still a small, mob-style glamour-town rather than a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city.

Bret Michaels: A Walking Miracle

By Marsala

I make no apologies. I enjoy watching NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice! There’s a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned as 14 well-known and not-as-well-known celebrities split into two teams and perform various challenging tasks that usually involve the show’s corporate sponsors.

Over the course of six seasons of The Apprentice and three seasons of Celebrity Apprentice there have been more than 100 tasks that required the participants to create marketing campaigns and advertorials, compose songs and jingles, write and perform in commercials and videos, design comic books, put together live charity auctions and VIP events, set up storefronts, create 3-D experiences, and sell various wares on the street and on QVC.

Watching the show is like auditing college-level crash courses in business management, advertising, marketing, sales, script writing, video editing, production, etc. If you pay attention and don’t skip an episode you could earn an honorary television doctorate.

Amy Grant & Vince Gill: A House of Love

By Marsala

It was a Friday afternoon, my deadline was rapidly approaching and I was trying not to panic because I hadn’t yet found a celebrity couple to interview for the June 2009 “Bridal” issue of Luxury Las Vegas magazine. It can be challenging to find just the right person who fits the criteria you’re looking for, but two celebrities are nearly impossible.

All of a sudden the names Amy Grant and Vince Gill came to mind as clearly as if someone had whispered them in my ear.

Lionel Richie: Wow, Wow, Wow!

By Marsala

When I think of weddings, I can’t help but think of Lionel Richie. The reason is because when I got married in 1983 (I’m blessed to be married to the same man for 27 years) the first song my husband, Steven and I danced to was a Lionel Richie song. Actually, that’s not exactly right. I couldn’t make up my mind between “Endless Love” and “Truly,” so much to my husband’s dismay, I chose both songs. Needless to say it was a long first dance.

Flash forward to April 9, 2010. I’m scheduled to interview Lionel for the June “Wedding” issue of Luxury Las Vegas magazine and I’m hoping that he will be as wonderful as I imagine, or else memories of my wedding day will be tainted.

Everything is set and then I get a phone call pushing the interview back to the following week. No problem. I understand celebrities have very busy lives and anything can happen at the last minute to change their plans. Now we’re scheduled to talk on April 16, the very day Lionel is supposed to arrive in New York from Geneva, Switzerland.

That worries me. [Read more…] about Lionel Richie: Wow, Wow, Wow!

Wynonna: A Portrait in Healing

By Marsala

The first in a six-part series called The Judds aired last night on Oprah’s OWN network. It was filmed as Wynonna and Naomi prepared for their 2010 “Last Encore” tour, the first they would perform together in ten years.

As I watched the show, I was struck by both women’s honesty, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable with each other especially knowing that millions of people would be watching. It’s impressive anytime anyone is willing to let go of their ego, but in Wynonna and Naomi’s case, it is extraordinary, because when you are famous it’s even more difficult to give up the facade.

I had my own personal experience with Wynonna back in January 2006 when I interviewed her for my monthly celebrity column called “Up Close and Personal” in Luxury Las Vegas Magazine. She blew me away then just as she did last night. She touches my heart in a very profound way. Here is my recollection of that experience and excerpts from that interview: