Is superstar rocker and artist-actor David Bowie close to signing a multi-million-dollar deal to become a long-term Las Vegas Strip headliner? I’m hearing solid rumblings that the giant AEG theatrical organization who run the Colosseum at Caesars Palace have had “really positive serious and productive” talks with the 60-year-old master musician about being added to the stellar lineup of Bette Midler and Cher after Celine Dion ends her four-year run there this coming December.

It is all supposed to be “top-secret’ and I’ve no doubt that the rumors will be scoffed at and denied. But my information comes from the highest possible sources so we’re going with the story!

Luxe Life has consistently led with news of Celine’s decision to embark on another world tour when her contract at Caesars ends in six-months time. Click here for Friday’s story of her new spring schedule in Europe.

Then Luxe Life was first to report that Bette would sign as her first replacement and then again when we revealed that AEG will officially announce this coming September that Cher will also be added to the lineup. Ironically, in a commentary about “where are today’s superstars” all of them are aged 60-plus!

“Part of the reasoning behind the Bowie interest is that not only would it fill remaining open dates at the theater but that the engagement could easily be expanded to deal with any gap if Sir Elton John doesn’t renew his current contract there past the end of 2008,” I was reliably told.

“AEG will also be responsible for the new theater at the Echelon Place resort casino complex which recently broke ground where the old Stardust was. That would give them a major alternative superstar theater to stage spectaculars that Caesars officials might not want. Either way, Bowie and his management are all aware of the permutations and are absolutely positively interested in making a residency debut in Vegas.

“It will be a mind-blower to land him. He’s always engineered the most spectacular and extravagant rock show tours in the world’s largest stadiums so he’ll really knock the socks off in Vegas.

“It used to be that super-pop stars looked down on Vegas but ever since the successful runs of Celine and Elton its now become a #1 choice for them to bring in long-running shows as opposed to grueling touring schedules around the world. This way the world comes to them to see a show that couldn’t be bankrolled on the road or anywhere else.”

In fact Bowie, named the “biggest, greatest and most influential music star of the 20th century” in three separate polls, promised fans when he took his lavish Diamond Dogs follow-up Glass Spider on tour that it would be “overflowing with makeup, costumes and theatrical sets. It opened with four dancers falling from the belly of a 50-foot high spider complete with illuminated, flashing legs that straddled the stages. “It was ultra theatrical,“ said Bowie “using fragments of film, projected images and slight narrative—it was almost what I believe a modern musical should look like.” AEG executives have encouraged Bowie to do even bigger and better for Vegas—and they’ll happily bankroll it!

Incidentally a re-mastered special edition DVD of that concert recorded in Australia in Sydney Harbor was released this past week with 22 digital tracks along with a further 25 live tracks including his big hit “Let’s Dance”. The elegantly named “Thin White Duke” has also been dubbed the “glitz-glammed Ziggy Stardust.” His amazing 40-years of music including “Just A Gigolo” is the subject of James Perone’s new book released this weekend The Words and Music of David Bowie. Perone is the professor of music at Mount Union College and senior editor of the respected Praegar Singer-Songwriter collection.

His last global journey was the 2003 “Reality Tour” with Bowie performing from a 50-song set list, narrowed down from the original 60 he wanted to attempt. It played to over one-million people in 17 countries over seven-months. “One of the reasons he loves the idea of Vegas is that he can do those n umbers and more while staying put in one place,” I was told. “Sir Elton John has even endorsed the Vegas experience for him.”

FOR THE RECORD: Bowie, a fellow English mate was born in the rough and tumble Brixton neighborhood of London on January 8, 1947. He is married to African supermodel Iman and they have a daughter Alexander. The massive AEG Entertainment Group is owned by reclusive Colorado oil-billionaire Phillip Anschultz and the company’s worldwide theatrical operations include the Staples Arena in Los Angeles and the Caesars Palace Colosseum theater here.

Luxe Life will continue to report on the developments of Bowie’s hoped for move to Vegas—despite the instant denials we expect this coming week.

Mindfreak magician Criss Angel has been hauled into court by a 37-year-old Long Island woman claiming to be his wife of five years—and her lawyer plans to subpoena Hollywood blonde bombshell Cameron Diaz to support the divorce suit!

Attorney Dominic Barbara, who has represented several celebrity clients, claims that Criss’ wife, Joanne Sarantakos, had actually been involved with the Luxor resort-hotel casino based magician for 15 years. “He kept his wife a secret to increase his sex appeal to female fans” shrilled the attorney.

The romance between Criss and Cameron only began two months ago after I was with them when they met backstage at a music awards show in Mandalay Bay. Although they were seen at the Bellagio, The Mirage and the Hard Rock over two consecutive weekends their show-business schedules have kept them apart most of the time while she was on two separate world tours promoting her latest Shrek movie. Criss was in Manhattan promoting the third season of his A&E Mindfreak show with a Houdini escape from a suspended concrete coffin, and in Montreal planning his new Cirque du Soleil magic show expected to open at the Luxor in 14-months time, late August 2008. Criss did give a “shout-out” to Cameron when he escaped from the 24-hour imprisonment and was discovered on nearby poster scaffolding promoting his Mindfreak debut. Click here for our previous Luxe Life coverage of Criss’ stunt and successful premiere party at the Luxor upon his return.

Criss was previously linked with another show-business star, Minnie Driver, and they were also seen around town, including a shopping lunch at the Caesars Palace Forum Shops. Criss never hid from me the fact that he was married-separated for a long time and going through a difficult divorce. However I’m convinced that early this year he thought the dissolution of the marriage was being resolved amicably

But yesterday (Friday, June 29) it all exploded in NY State Supreme Court in Mineola, Long Island when according to the New York Post, attorney Barbara outrageously claimed that 39-year-old Criss had refused to pay her support during the “abusive” relationship. He said he’d even hired a private investigator to tail the magician for the past six months. In the series of outrageous “divorce lawyer” allegations Barbara, who once represented sleazy Long Island ‘Lolita” auto-mechanic Joey Buttafucco, also claimed that Criss had failed to send a $7,000 check for household expenses that never arrived. The lawyer and the “wife” ridiculously claimed the marriage broke down when the illusionist became famous and got involved with Cameron Diaz.

“This is a classic case of a star-shakedown,” said one of the magician’s pals. “The moment Cirque made the announcement of his $200-million magic production all the money-thirsting past came out to see how much they could grab. It’s disgraceful they’re going after Criss this way and using the legal system to hurt him. He moved to Vegas several years ago and they’ve hardly seen each other since, so to claim Cameron broke up their marriage is totally ridiculous.”

Criss, who still has relatives on Long Island where he used to live, attended the court hearing with his attorney Elliot Weiner and although both declined any comment Criss flashed a “peace V sign” afterwards.

Luxe Life will continue to monitor this ugly legal battle as it moves forward.

Las Vegas entertainment regulars will be at the forefront of Sunday night’s Concert for Diana in Wembley Stadium near London. The concert, presented by Princes William and Harry as a celebration of their mother’s life, will be broadcast live to millions of viewers in over 140 countries around the world. Here in Vegas the concert will air on NBC.

William and Harry have explained that 10 years on from their mother’s death they wanted to celebrate her life and commemorate her achievements. Yesterday, I was part of the Fox News TV week long special on her life; Diana would have celebrated her 46th birthday on Sunday. (A memorial service will be held August 31 marking the tragic day she died in a Paris road tunnel crash.)

For those who follow royal romances, the plan is for Prince William, next in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles, to escort his on-again off-again love-mate Kate Middleton to the concert.

Set to appear with will be Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas, Caesars Palace headliner Sir Elton John, Nelly Furtado, who wrapped her US tour here last weekend at Red Rock and Pure, MGM headliner Tom Jones and hip-hop stars Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and P Diddy—all favorites of both Diana and her sons.

Even the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian is represented by its composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is producing a special musical medley from hit musicals with Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman and yes, Donny Osmond who is set to appear at The Orleans in August.

It’s the ultimate guessing game on the Vegas entertainment scene. Reclusive hip-hop soul singer Lauren Hill is due to entertain up at the Red Rock casino resort tomorrow night, but loyalists will remember that her last scheduled appearance here at the Rio when her Svengali Prince was in residence was pushed back to a 2 a.m. start and then canceled with refunds being given to disgruntled fans.

That wasn’t the first time that Lauren had disappointed—but despite her no-shows at sporadic concert dates and the fact she hasn’t been in a studio to record a new album in almost a decade, she still has her strong fan base supporting her brilliance. They’ll be waiting patiently with feet in the Red Rock’s sand and water for her scheduled concert. Let’s hope in the spirit of the double holiday weekend she shows up on time, rids her fears and performs with the excellence she’s so capable of.

If you don’t want to gamble then just remember another great star, Gwen Stefani will be a head-to-head rival at the MGM, and you can bet your last dollar the sexy blonde pop star will show right on time!

Luxe Life’s recent prediction that the tall and uber-talented Leonid the Magnificent will be on hand to kick off showman Jeff Beacher’s Madhouse will be proven true at the Hard Rock tomorrow night.

Last year, wild and wacky Leonid, who performs in extroverted makeup, silver thigh-high boots and showgirl furs and head-dress, jumped from Vegas after being lured away by Hollywood scouts for NBC-TV’s America’s Got Talent. Beacher claimed “ foul” and lawyers for both sides threatened a raging court battle—but without drawing daggers in front of a judge, Beacher won and the 6’7” Russian carnival attraction has returned to the fold. His debut appearance tomorrow coincides with the official new season of Madhouse shows.

Originally, Paris Hilton was set to play hostess and launch a new website, but that’s been scrapped as part of her “new life after jail” that began this week after she was freed from her drunk-driving license suspension time in the Lynwood prison facility and went to Maui for a Hawaiian vacation.

Beacher told Luxe Life: “If you thought Leonid was the ultimate in bizarre entertainment, you’ve seen nothing yet. His new act will rip the roof off the Joint.”

Expect to see Jack Osbourne there because he started his weekend a day early relaxing in a VIP cabana at the Venus topless pool at Caesars Palace after driving over at 5:30 a.m. from L.A. Most of the day he stayed with Redbulls, but he finished up with water and a tuna salad.

Our hot summer nights are all set to get steamier and sexier tonight when the eXotic eXciting X Burlesque beauties join with porn princess Sunset Thomas to open the new X2O ultra lounge at the GO pool in the Flamingo.

By day the GO pool on the resort-hotel’s upper pool level permits European topless sunbathing. As of tonight it transforms into a full-scale outdoor nightclub. An illuminated floating dance floor will be set up in the center of the pool for special sexy segments by the busty beauties of X and Sunset’s provocative performances. At 9 p.m., Sunset guests in the normal X-showroom and then all the glamour girls head for the X2O pool to mingle with guests until their shocking scandalous midnight show.

Says X producer Angela Stabile: “This late night pool club has a real sexy vibe. Nothing can compare outdoors to the Flamingo pool, and we’ve created some very sexy surprises. This is going to be the sexiest pool party in town, and people will be talking about this premiere for the rest of summer.”

It’s true when they say a picture is worth a thousand words - so we’ll save you the read by showing you two photos of the new Legoland display in Carlsbad, California.

The amazing attraction has just completed its construction of a replica of our famed Las Vegas Strip. It took the lego-builders there exactly 12-months to replicate every one of our resorts from the Sahara down to Mandalay Bay. The detail is amazing and you’ll feel like a giant towering over the NY-NY skyscrapers. Everything has been faithfully reproduced. It’s a definite “must see” if you’re headed towards Los Angeles or San Diego this summer—and if you risk a speeding ticket and pick a good time of day to zip over, it’s only 4 1/2 hours from our Strip to theirs!

Café Bellagio executive chef Jeff Henderson has gone from his early days of being a drug-dealing prisoner to the Oprah Winfrey show—and now he plans to get a bachelor’s degree in communication.

He starts filming the “Chef Jeff Project” for the Food Network this fall, and then the movie of his remarkable life story gets underway with actor Will Smith. But he was so emotionally moved when he donned cap and gown to give a commencement speech at Lane College, Jeff vowed to go back to school and get his degree!

He told me “My story has been featured in numerous publications from USA Today to People and your LUXE LIFE, including Oprah’s show (which airs again on July 11)—but this was one of the most powerful moments of my life. Wearing a college robe with a cap touched me in a way that I have never been touched before. My next goal is to open my own restaurant, where people can experience my posh urban cuisine. I would also like to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications. I look forward to working toward that new goal. I feel as though I have been truly blessed and will do everything in my power to give back to my community, in whatever means possible.”

Luxe Life proudly reprints this story from Lane:

Chef Jeffery Henderson served the 2007 Lane College graduating class a heavy helping of hope, wisdom and inspiration.

“Listen here, young people: By no means am I a preacher, but I’ve got to take you to church today,” said Henderson, popularly known as “Chef Jeff.” The 42-year-old former Las Vegas Chef of the Year shared the story of how he went from drug dealing on the streets of South Central Los Angeles to carving out culinary success and writing a bestselling memoir.

“Thirty years ago, I was just a little boy named ‘Jeff Hard Head,’” he told the nearly 3,500 gathered at Oman Arena for Lane’s commencement ceremony. He said he earned the nickname, “hard head,” because he didn’t like to listen to anybody. However, he would eventually end up in a place where he would have to listen to God and to others.

“God blessed me in a mysterious way. Believe it or not, prison saved my life. Ten years of my life would be spent in prison. It was there I became motivated and began to realize my true potential,” Henderson said.

He told the students that they all had the potential to break through their inner prisons.

“Many times, our prisons are not federal or state,” he said referring to minds that are sometimes locked with self-doubt, fear and negative thinking.

“Always keep ‘yet’ in your vocabulary. ‘Yet’ means it is still to come,” Henderson said. “Any of you who didn’t believe in the power of potential before today, look at me.” After being released from prison in 1996, Henderson got a job as a restaurant dishwasher. He was a quick study and worked his way up to the top of the cooking profession under the mentorship of Robert Gadsby.

“I always dreamed of having a big kitchen,” Henderson said. Film rights for Henderson’s memoir, “Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, From Cocaine to Foie Gras” were purchased by the Will Smith team that made his hit movie “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Henderson encouraged the 131 proud graduates to dream big, pray hard and give back to their communities.

“Give back; don’t just get yours,” said Henderson, who is not yet a college graduate himself. However, he told the graduates that he will be one day.

“Each and every one of you motivates me,” he said. At the conclusion of his speech, Henderson received a standing ovation.

President McClure said he couldn’t think of a better speaker to personify Lane’s popular slogan, The Power of Potential.

“He (Henderson) identifies with the power of potential,” McClure said. “In the past, we’ve gone for scholarship. We’ve gone for high politicians (for commencement speakers). Once in a while we need somebody to come who is real.”

… Every Friday night those wild and crazy Coyote Ugly barmaids and cocktail servers pick a new dress-up theme as a part of the New York-New York bar’s excitement. Luxe Life never needs an excuse to run photos of gorgeous girls but here’s proof of the fun at this past Friday’s “Sinful Pleasures’ night. Goodness knows what mischief they will get up to this evening but they guarantee you one rebel-rousing good time.
… Barry’s backstage visitor: All week long, Broadway actress, dancer and singer Chita Riviera has been paying her respects to old friends among the casts of some of our Strip shows – and it was no exception when she went backstage after seeing Barry Manilow’s show at the Hilton. Chita worked with Barry years ago in Manhattan and has remained a longtime friend and fan!
… Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the Kid Rock concert planned for The Pearl at the Palms at the end of August holiday weekend. His unique mix of rock and rap has won him Grammy nominations and Billboard trophies. Tickets also go on sale tomorrow for a British invasion set for the Cannery on July 28 with Gerry and the Pacemakers, Terry Sylvestor of The Hollies and Tony Sheridan.
… Congratulations to rock star hangout, the Rainbow Bar & Grill which needs every night this weekend long to celebrate its second anniversary. Since opening, the restaurant has hosted many CD releases and after concert parties, and after one showcase Adelita’s Way was even signed to an Atlantic Records contract. Co-owner Jerry Greenberg commented: “It’s been an amazing two years with support from the locals, musicians and celebrities such as Fergie, Robert Plant, ZZ Top, Slash, and Quentin Tarantino to name just a few.” Meantime 944 Magazine also celebrates its two years with a three day blast across the Paradise Avenue at the Hard Rock with such celebrities as DJ supreme Paul Oakenfold, post-punk stars She Wants Revenge, famed percussionist DJ Ravi Drums, DJ Steve ‘Kid Millionaire” and actor Danny Masterson in his DJ guise of DJ Mom Jeans. My pal, celebrity chef Kerry Simon will throw a Sunday brunch to raise funds for the Save the Planet charity.

Now it’s time for all the other semi holiday weekend attractions and highlights in what we refer to affectionately as the
ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

FRIDAY JUNE 29:
* Country cowboy Glen Campbell starts a two day gig downtown at the Golden Nugget
* A flashback from yesteryear is blues rocker Steve Winwood at the Hard Rock, still rolling on in his 40th showbiz year as singer and songwriter
* The Pearl at the Palms plays host to the exciting sounds of Paulina Rubio
* The smooth soul sounds of handsome Brian McKnight will sooth the Orleans thru Sunday night
* Don’t get confused, but it’s Dean’s son Ricci Martin and not the Puerto Rico based pop-king who will be charming for three nights up at the Suncoast.
* Guitarist and vocalist Rocco DeLuca, known for his appearances with Johnny Cash, performs poolside at the Hard Rock followed by a separate late night set from She Wants Revenge—the LA band will tear you apart when it gets out of control
* The Southcoast opens its new showroom playing host all this weekend to the music of Warrant tonight, Great White tomorrow and The Knack on Sunday
* Playmate Jessica Hall celebrates her birthday with a blowout bash at Tangerine nightclub in the TI. Centerfold rival Carmella Decasare holds court at LIGHT in the Bellagio.

SATURDAY JUNE 30:
* Former mall-makeup sales gal turned pop-queen Gwen Stefani is back in town after opening The Pearl at the Palm recently, but now she will thrill at the much larger MGM arena. Daughter Kingston and rocker hubby Gavin Rossdale will be backstage and rumors of a new pregnancy are all over the Internet! Her opening act, Lady Sovereign from Britain, will then rush to the Beatles Revolution lounge to spin discs at their own after show-party
* Hopefully Lauren Hill won’t disappoint for a second time and will actually perform at Red Rock as we noted above
* Country star LeAnn Rhimes will cool the hot summer night with her sounds at Mandalay Beach, and nobody minds if you go in the water while she sings
* Beacher’s Madhouse, with his motley crew of drag queens, strippers, stilt walkers, contortionists and celebrities, kick off a new season of insanity at the Hard Rock—with Howard Stern’s sidekick Artie Lange set to shock as next month’s guest star.
*I t’s a comedy explosion with a host of comics led by DL Hughley at the Orleans Arena.
* There really will be fireworks when Three Dog Night performs out at the Lake Las Vegas resort in Montelago Village. The group racked up 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, so in the spirit of the July 4 holiday there’s an advance fireworks show after their concert
* My old Manchester mates, Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone joined by the Turtles bring back the oldies at the Cannery and still warns you not to put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington!
* It’s the last day for you to catch amazing ventriloquist Ronn Lucas at the Steve Wyrick Theater in the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile before he moves to a new Strip location shortly
* Soul Asylum punches the ticket and arrives on time at the Boulder Station for the 8 p.m. show
* Its another 21st birthday bash at Tangerine in the TI—this time for Drake Bell

SUNDAY JULY 1:
* It’s the kickoff of the incredible three day Beatles Fest at The Mirage (daily from noon to midnight) to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the 50th anniversary of that first meeting between Lennon and McCartney. You can click here for our earlier Beatles salutes this week and you can click here to go back a few weeks when we first broke the news about this festival. We’ll have a full rundown on Monday of everything that’s happening with the music and the memorabilia, including the up-close and personal meet and greets with original Beatles drummer Pete Best, Wings member Denny Laine, Victor Spinetti who co-starred in all three Beatles movies, plus the first full reunion concert in nearly 40-years for Peter & Gordon. On Tuesday, LUXE LIFE will bring you some of the highlights of Paul and Ringo’s Vegas interview with CNN anchor Larry King
* The Price of Fame tour arrives at the Orleans Arena with Bow Wow & Friends

NEXT WEEK’S TEASE: With the July 4 official holiday falling directly mid-week, who knows if folks are making a full week of it, or celebrating with a long weekend, or taking an extra long five days off next weekend. So because of that and my own trip to Capri in Italy for the wedding of my celebrity chef friend, Wolfgang Puck, I’ll post a week long seven day guide on Monday. It’ll be complete with a day-by-day rundown of what’s happening for the holiday and the week ahead. We’ll also have highlights of Larry King’s Vegas interview with Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr, and we’ll update all the latest stories daily—and take an advance look at the 7-7-07 ceremonies. Then we’ll be return the following Monday with the first exclusive wedding photos from captivating Capri.

When visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.

VEGAS—THE ONLY PLACE TO PLAY!

After more than 14-hours of nonstop play the $2-million winner of the second annual $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship was Las Vegas resident Freddy Deeb. It was Deeb’s second World Series of Poker victory—he previously won a gold bracelet back in 1996.

Born in Lebanon, he fled his homeland during the 1970’s civil war there. He was unable to secure legal residency or obtain a work permit inside America so he turned to gambling to make a living. For more than 30-years Freddy has been playing poker successfully.

Married with four children, Freddy owns two WSOP gold bracelets and has cashed in at the event 22 times. His first win was for Deuce-to-Seven Lowball. The H.O.R.S.E. championship , however, is his biggest career win by far. “When I won my first bracelet, I was mostly a cash game player so it didn’t really matter that much to me,” said Freddy “But this one—it means everything to me. They are the toughest players in the world. It has the highest buy-in except for the $10,000 main event buy-in this is the bracelet that means the most of any of them.”

One of the most popular players on the poker tournament trail, with other players and fans alike Freddy is often humorous while he is playing and often wears vibrant colored shirts, including at this final table when he wore what he calls his “lucky shirt.”

When play was at four-handed, Deeb was all-in on a critical Omaha High-Low hand. He managed to scoop the pot and survive to propel him back into the match. Despite having the shortest stack during much of play in the finale, he still managed to outlast his final opponents in the end.

The final table lasted 14.5 hours and ranked as the fourth-longest recorded final table in WSOP history. Freddy won $2,276,832 and was presented with his gold and diamond bracelet in addition to a custom-designed wristwatch made by luxury watchmaker Corum, with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack doing the honors. “I have a very loose reputation as a poker player,” said Freddy right after the grueling game ended. “When I bet out, I know I am going to get called. So, I adjust my play and it works in my favor. When I sit down to play, I do not ask anyone—what is the game because of the mix of poker games in H.O.R.S.E. I just play whatever the game is dealt… You see what level they are at, and you go a level higher. That’s how you win.”

This event is generally regarded as the ultimate test of all-around poker skill with Freddy now being regarded as the world’s best poker player. Five poker games are played in rotation—Hold’em, Omaha High-Low, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Stud Eight-or-Better over a five-day period. This year’s H.O.R.S.E. World Championship attracted 148 entries, just up slightly from last year’s inaugural number of 143. The World Series of Poker continues onward at the Rio with Don Cheadle and Annie Duke’s big Hollywood celebrity poker tournament starting next Thursday and the overall ultimate big game finale expected to wind up about July 17.