Manilow waives fee for fundraiser

Barry Manilow is getting involved with Las Vegas charities in a way that few out-of-town entertainers have done.

Manilow, the featured entertainer at Saturday's "Keep Memory Alive" gala benefit at the Bellagio, is waiving his usual $1.2 million fee, which includes his orchestra.

That's not unusual for Manilow, who doesn't charge charities. But he's also picking up the tab for his orchestra, as well as transportation and other expenses, a savings of several hundred thousand dollars for Larry Ruvo's fundraiser for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Manilow will have another announcement on March 5, opening night of his new headliner residency at the Paris Las Vegas.

There are rumblings that he's planning to implement a music program in Las Vegas similar to the one he started in Palm Springs, where The Manilow Music Project has provided musical instruments, along with music supplies, to public middle and high schools in the Coachella Valley.

The Brooklyn native, who lives in South Palm Springs, told The Desert Sun in Palms Springs last year that he wants to give Coachella Valley students the same opportunity he received in his high school music class.

"I would have been a loser had I not had that music class," Manilow told the newspaper.

NASCAR'S BIG NIGHT

NASCAR Weekend gets off to an early start tonight with the annual drivers auction at Sam's Town.

The event gives fans the opportunity to bid on a ride around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a convertible with their favorite Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series stars before the two big races this weekend.

NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte and ex-driver Kyle Petty are set to appear at the 12th annual Autotrader.com Speedway Children's Charities event.

Entertainment will be provided by country music star Skid Rodeo and former "Home Improvement" TV star and musician Mickey Jones.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the auction starting at 6.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Tim O'Callaghan, former Henderson Home News publisher, dropped me an e-mail last week to clarify the location of Sunrise Mountain. In an item here last week, I mentioned the late pop artist Steve Kaufman had proposed that a "Las Vegas" sign with 100-foot high letters be built on the mountain so that airline passengers arriving from the north could see it out from the left side of the plane. "Sunrise Mountain is behind or east of Nellis Air Force Base," wrote O'Callaghan. "To the south of Sunrise Mountain or to the left of Sunrise Mountain is Frenchmen Mountain, the taller of the two." It is often mistaken for Sunrise Mountain, he said.

SIGHTINGS

Undefeated boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr., celebrating his 33rd birthday at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Wednesday. ... Among the dignitaries at Monday's Las Vegas Walk of Stars presentation for Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin at the Flamingo: Martin's daughter Deana, Rich Little, Steve Rossi and members of the Golddiggers from Dino's TV show.

THE PUNCH LINE

"When you watch 'Lost,' crazy stuff happens. You love it, and then a few hours later you have no idea what happened. It's like the Jagermeister of TV shows." -- Jimmy Kimmel

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