Actor Mark Wahlberg waits to take the stage Sunday before the start of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Photo by Isaac Brekken/Review-Journal
Star drummer Mickey Jones saw the opening of the Stardust and the closing, and he'll be there when it implodes in a cloud of dust early Tuesday.
He was 17 years old when his parents drove in for the Stardust's July Fourth weekend opening in 1958.
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"My father gave me and my 12-year-old sister cups of nickels to play the slot machines, and without thinking anything about it, we played until a security guard escorted us to our room," Jones said Sunday, during a break in his NASCAR weekend.
Jones will have a VIP view of the implosion at 2 a.m. Tuesday, and it will be like losing a family member.
"As corny as this may sound, it's breaking my heart," said Jones, who was a drummer for Trini Lopez, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan and Kenny Rogers.
When the Stardust closed in November, marketing honcho Dan Stark made sure Jones was standing near Boyd Gaming chief Bill Boyd for the final throw of the dice, the final slot pull and the turn of the last card.
Jones stayed in the Stardust that final weekend and believes he was the last guest to check out.
"It's the end of an era no property or city will ever see," said Jones, who has appeared in 80 films and hundreds of TV shows, including an eight-year run as Peter Bilker in "Home Improvement."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little, who lives in Las Vegas, told me daredevil motorcyclist Mike Metzger, who leaped the fountains at Caesars Palace last year, is planning to jump into NASCAR racing.
SIGHTINGS
At the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race on Sunday: Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey, riding in the pre-race parade lap with driver Jimmie Johnson, who won the race for the third year in a row at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Mark Wahlberg; pro wrestling legend Bill Goldberg, in Greg Biffle's pit area; Magic Johnson, honorary crew chief for the Best Buy car driven by Jeff Green; Carrot Top, in the pre-race driver's meeting; and Sierra Boggess of "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular," singing the national anthem. Boggess, who plays Christine, is reportedly in line to land the lead role in Disney's "The Little Mermaid," which will open in Denver soon and move to Broadway this fall. Also at the race Sunday: Original Mouseketeer Paul Petersen of "The Donna Reed Show," in the Boyd Gaming box; former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman, who is part-owner of Tony Raines' race car; Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and Mayor Oscar Goodman, and Melissa Rivers. Robin Leach served as the master of ceremonies of the pre-race festivities. ... NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid, who are expecting their first child, a girl, in July, at the 7 p.m. performance Saturday of the Beatles tribute "Love" by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. ... Jimmie Johnson, with a group Saturday night at Il Mulino in Forum Shops at Caesars Palace that included Lachey and Minnillo. ... At Pure in Caesars on Saturday: Enrique Iglesias, NFL quarterback Steve McNair, Dave Navarro, Brittany Snow,Jonny Fairplay and actor Jeffrey Donovan. ... At N9ne Steakhouse in the Palms on Saturday: Pete Rose, Goldberg, former boxing star Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Vondie Curtis-Hall of the original "Dreamgirls" cast on Broadway, NFL star Adam Archuleta and entertainer Frankie Scinta.... Former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, hanging out backstage at the Fremont Street Experience with Artimus Pyle from Lynyrd Skynyrd and other members of Deep South, Jimmy Hall, Robert Nix, Chris Hicks and Hal McCormack. Flutie sat in on drums for two songs.
THE PUNCH LINE
"No-hands auto racing." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Off-Season Sports on ESPN
Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
