Cooper: ‘What a loss’ of Houston

Whitney Houston was "the Barbra Streisand of her music," Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper said Saturday in Las Vegas.

"What a loss," said Cooper, during a red carpet interview at the Dollar Loan Center awards party at Green Valley Ranch.

"Every single girl -- every diva -- was trying to be like Whitney. She was the Barbra Streisand of her music. She had the purest voice of anybody."

But, said Cooper, who overcame an alcohol addiction early in his career, "Drugs speak louder than friends and that's the problem."

Houston, who died Saturday, reportedly left a pre-Grammy party Thursday with a scratch on a wrist and blood on a leg after R&B singer Ray-J intervened when Houston got upset when she saw Ray-J talking to "X-Factor" finalist Stacey Francis.

Houston and Ray-J, rumored to be in an on-again, off-again romance, also were seen together Feb. 3.

Ray-J, a former partner in Poetry nightclub at Caesars Palace, is the brother of singer Brandy.

Houston died on Brandy's 33rd birthday.

Ray-J was evicted from the Palms last September following a backstage fistfight with rapper Fabolous, after the latter's concert.

CELEB FEST FOR ALI SALUTE

Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday salute on Saturday is attracting one of the city's largest celebrity gatherings in years, including a who's who of boxing.

Ticket sales have surpassed 1,800 for Keep Memory Alive's 16th annual Power of Love Gala at the MGM Grand Garden.

The starpower includes Stevie Wonder, Samuel L. Jackson, David Beckham, Larry King, Ken Jeong, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Common, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Combs, Anthony Hopkins, John Legend, Cee Lo Green, Joe Perry, Slash, Terrence Howard, David Copperfield, Siegfried and Roy, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Jim Brown, Randy Couture, Brad Garrett, Kelly Rowland, Dave Koz, Robin Leach, James Gandolfini, Steve Schirripa, Chazz Palminteri, Quincy Jones, Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford and Sammy Hagar. From the boxing world: Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Ray Mancini and Tommy Hearns.

The event will raise funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center.

For ticket information, call 702-263-9797.

SIGHTINGS

Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu, at Sunset Station on Saturday for the Fiji concert. He was in town for the USA Sevens international rugby tournament. ... Actor Val Kilmer, who starred as Jim Morrison in "The Doors," made a surprise appearance Saturday at Chuck Brennan's annual Dollar Loan Center celebration at Green Valley Ranch. Kilmer belted out "Roadhouse Blues," backed up by a group that included Robbie Krieger of The Doors, Mick Fleetwood on drums, Jack Blades of Night Ranger on bass and bandmate Eric Levy on keyboard. The show opened with David Brock, current lead singer of The Doors, singing "L.A. Woman." At the end of the evening, they joined in a 45-minute jam that featured KISS band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Derrick Singer; and Cooper and his bandmate Chuck Garric. ... Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, spotted at Surrender (Encore) and Rain (Palms) on Saturday. ... Polamalu and Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, at Marquee (Cosmopolitan).

THE PUNCH LINE

"What (New Jersey Gov.) Chris Christie pours on his cereal." -- From David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways to Describe Gravy."

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.