Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: LV woman sworn in at Jackson trial

Ann Gabriel Kite leaves court Tuesday after testifying in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Las Vegan Ann Gabriel Kite, fired as Michael Jackson's crisis management manager, testified briefly Tuesday for the prosecution in the singer's child molestation trial in Santa Maria, Calif.

Gabriel, who runs the streaming-media firm Webcaster Alliance, returns to the stand today.

She was hired by Las Vegas attorney David LeGrand in February 2003 to contain fallout from Martin Bashir's "Living with Michael Jackson" documentary that triggered the molestation investigation.

Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried & Roy have not been asked by Jackson's camp to testify as character witnesses, their manager Bernie Yuman said Tuesday.

Last call

City Life managing editor Matt O'Brien, during an interview, asked Hunter S. Thompson about the origin of the title "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

"People have said that I stole it from Kafka or something. That's possible, but I didn't know about it," Thompson told O'Brien.

He came up with it about halfway through the book, he said.

O'Brien's first contact with Thompson was a 1:22 a.m. telephone call in 2001. Thompson awakened O'Brien and gave him 45-minute interview for a City Life feature in 2001. They talked again in 2002 for a 30th anniversary piece on "Fearing and Loathing."

About six months ago, O'Brien asked Thompson if he would write the foreword for a book tentitively titled "Beneath the Neon: Exploring the Storm Drains of Las Vegas."

A blurb, yes, but not a foreword, he told O'Brien. Forewards were a pain, said Thompson.

Getting the blurb was on O'Brien's to-do list when he finished writing the rough draft on Feb. 16. Thompson committed suicide in Colorado on Feb. 20.

The Scene and Heard

Diana DeGarmo, the 2004 "American Idol" runner-up to Fantasia Barrino, will sing the national anthem at the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 on March 13. The Air Force Thunderbirds will conduct a flyover at the end of the anthem. Robin Leach returns as master of ceremonies for the second year in a row. ...

Jamie Foxx brought his Oscar to Sunday's star-studded soiree at the Beverly Hills estate of Phil Maloof. Billed as "Oscars After Midnight," the 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. bash was co-hosted by People magazine, NBC "Las Vegas" producer Scott Steindorff and the Maloof family. Attendees included Josh Duhamel, Foxx's co-star Kerry Washington, Wyclef Jean, Paula Abdul, Lance Bass, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Vartan and Cris Judd. The surprise of the party came when Jamie Spears, Britney's dad, cooked up and served Southern fried chicken and mac and cheese to Foxx and friends.

Sightings

Ray Romano and his family, dining at Il Mulino (Forum Shops expansion at Caesars) on Saturday. ... The Wallflowers, doing a photo shoot Monday for Rolling Stone magazine in the high limit room at the Palms. ... 'N Sync's Lance Bass, at PURE nightclub (Caesars Palace) on Monday. ... Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis, denied entry to Light nightclub (Bellagio) on Sunday because they were wearing sneakers. They were overheard offering to buy 20 bottles of booze at the club where bottles start at about $300. ... Local actor-singer Gianni Russo, on the Howard Stern show Monday for 45 minutes, going public with his feud with James Caan during the filming of "The Godfather," his Hollywood conquest, etc, etc. He was plugging his new CD "Reflections." ... Kurt Busch, off to second and third place finishes on the NASCAR circuit after winning it all last year, will be signing autographs at Friendly Ford on March 10, from 5-7 p.m.

The Punch Line

"Martha Stewart is getting out of prison so today the terror alert was raised from Orange to Pesto." -- David Letterman

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.