RENE BAKER, CELEBRITY, & NO CIGAR!

 
      My wife, Sandi, and I were sitting at a table right next to the stage. The lady sitting at the next table center stage knew I was enjoying the show tremendously and struck up a conversation. Her name was Rene Baker and was the very attractive girl friend of the celebrity performing.

     It was the late 1960's and the hotel was the Star Dust in Las Vegas. Miss Baker asked if I would like to meet the "celeb"when the current performance ended. Are you kidding me!

      During the intermission we went out in the lobby and waited to meet one of my all time favorite celebrities.  We waited and waited and waited. He never showed. He had a sore throat so they said. He didn't show up for the third and last show either.

     It still was OK as I did get to see two outstanding performances by the one and only Fats Domino. The Fat Man came out to perform by pushing his piano with his stomach. That's what you can do when you are the Fat Man.**"Fat Man" was one of his first recordings in 1948.

      I later learned that not only was Fats a drug addict and probably had gotten high, there was a time when the Mob controlled Vegas and would get celebrities like him into rigged poker games and cheat them out of their fees. So sad!