Fab Four got hard day’s night in Vegas
It was never a good idea to test the authority of legendary Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb.
But The Beatles tried it, and so did Ol' Blue Eyes.
Didn't matter how important you were; Lamb -- one tough old cowboy who turned 84 in April -- didn't take any guff.
One of his duties was to make sure everyone had a work card.
"It was the law," said Lamb, who was sheriff when The Beatles made their only appearance in Las Vegas, in 1964 at the Convention Center.
"We let 'em know they had to come downtown. We issued an ultimatum to their manager. They rebelled, said, 'We're from another country; we're not coming down.' "
Lamb said The Beatles were rehearsing at a Hilton bar when they were overheard grumbling about the sheriff's edict.
"They were tuning up their instruments and cussin' out the sheriff," he recalled Saturday.
A couple dealers took umbrage over the language and defended the sheriff.
"They got into a fracas with a couple guitar players. They got slapped around a little bit," Lamb said.
Sure enough, the Fab Four showed up to complete their paperwork.
It's no secret Frank Sinatra could be a handful.
"He got pretty salty on occasion. He got too 'fer out of hand," said Lamb, who was Clark County's longest-serving sheriff at 17 years.
"He wasn't going to come down," he added.
Lamb sent word: No work card, no working in Vegas.
"He had somebody bring him down. He had his own set of rules, and we didn't like his rules," Lamb said.
BILLY JEAN'S BIG FINISH
Tennis icon Billie Jean King served up a big finish at Saturday's graduation ceremonies at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.
Concluding her remarks, she said, "Now we're going to have some fun!"
She called over the three graduates who were standing by with her racquet and a basket of balls. When she started hitting, the crowd jumped to their feet and started cheering, hoping to get an autographed ball from the six-time Wimbledon singles champ.
King served up about 30 balls and saved one for each of the four graduates seated onstage: the salutatorian, valedictorian, student body president and senior class president.
"They were all females," said Agassi spokesman Francisco Aguilar. "She commented that the boys needed to get to work."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
We hear Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" has been trying to reach Mike Tyson to recruit him for the show.
SIGHTINGS
La Toya Jackson, described as emotional during Celine Dion's tribute to the late King of Pop on Saturday at The Colosseum (Caesars Palace). Also at the show was international fashion critic and regular "Entertainment Tonight" contributor Steven "Cojo" Cojocaru. ... Chicago Bulls lightning rod Joakim Noah, at the Palms Pool & Bungalow on Saturday, having Coronas with friends. ... Teller, of Rio headliner duo Penn and Teller, climbed onto the shoulders of one of the acrobats in "Absinthe" and took a daring stroll Friday. Penn and Teller met with the cast after the show, and one thing led to another. ... Hundreds of Holly Madison fans lined up outside Sugar Factory outside Paris Las Vegas, where she was signing copies of her new book, "A Showgirl Next Door." It might have set a record for biggest turnout for a book signing. Many had lined up as early as 8 a.m. for the noon event.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Democrats and Republicans are calling for Congressman Anthony Weiner to resign. Late-night comedians are asking him to hang in there." -- Conan O'Brien
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.
