CELINE COUNTDOWN—NOW ONLY 9 SHOWS TO GO
Pop-royal Prince, Celine Dion’s replacement, Bette Midler, and country star Shania Twain are among the entertainers who’ve seen the Canadian songbird’s show more than once during its near five-year-run at Caesars Palace. Venetian headliner and comedy impressionist Wayne Brady has racked up three visits to A New Day at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace, and even talk-show shrink Dr. Phil and California’s First Lady, Maria Schriver have seen it twice! The list of Celine’s fellow show business singers who’ve trekked to Caesars Palace to pay homage is staggering and includes everybody from Britney Spears to Michael Jackson to Placido Domingo!
Here’s our Luxe Life tracking system of the singers, TV favorites, sports stars, big business leaders and actors and actresses who have made the trek to the Vegas valley to pay homage to her.
When California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver attended they even went backstage and autographed Celine’s special “memory board” of star friends. She’s taking it off the wall with her to keep at home in Lake Las Vegas after the last and final show. Flamingo resort headliner Toni Braxton and pop hit-maker Neil Sedaka have also signed that board. Our home-town stars, including the merry Mayor of Mirth, Oscar Goodman along with Celine’s Colosseum co-star, Sir Elton John plus Siegfried & Roy, Michael Jackson, Tony Curtis, Jerry Lewis, Phyllis McGuire, Mary Wilson, Danny Gans, Spamalot star John O’Hurley and the late have also led the applause at her shows.
The remainder of the list looks like a super-agent’s i-phone list of top Hollywood names:
Singers: Alice Cooper, Andy Williams, Barry Manilow, Britney Spears, Carole King, Placido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, George Benson, Lance Bass, Paul Anka, Reba McEntire, Dionne Warwick, Yanni, Nancy & Ann Wilson from Heart, Shelia E., Brian McKnight, Donny & Marie Osmond, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Laine Kazan, Ricky Martin, Donna Summers, Ruth Pointer from the Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson, Travis Tritt, Debbie Gibson, Barbra Streisand, Ice T, Taylor Dane, Barbara Mandrell, Katharine McPhee, Spice Girl Melanie Jones and R Kelly.
Actors: Allan Thicke, David Hasselhoff, Don Johnson, Haley Joel Osmont, Jane Seymour, June Lockhart, Fran Drescher, Michael Douglas with Catherine Zeta Jones, Victoria Principal, Blair Underwood, Sylvester Stallone, George Hamilton, Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson, Blake Edwards & Julie Andrews, Leslie Ann Warren, Doris Roberts, John Voight, Susan Lucci, Hale Berry, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Shirley McLaine, Helen Mirren, Angela Bassett & Courtney Vance.
Headline Personalities: Dick Clark, Kathy Griffin, Oprah Winfrey, Ricki Lake, Vanna White, American Idol creator Simon Fuller, Michael Flately, Dennis Miller, Troy Aikman, Paula Zahn of CNN, Beatles producer Sir George Martin, Julius “Dr J” Irving, former NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, TV’s Judge Judy, Olympic winner Nadia Comaneci, Barry Bonds, Donald Trump, fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, Governor Bill Richardson, Regis Philbin, Kenny G, talk show host Ellen Degeneres, Billie-Jean King, NASCAR’s Mario Andreitti and Jeff Gordon, Kathy Lee Gifford, Tyra Banks, Blockbuster CEO Wayne Huizenga, Howie Mandell, record producer David Foster, Bill Maher and Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren.
Other than televised tributes, roasts and TV specials there hasn’t been a star ever before who has had so many showbiz colleagues just come to watch her as regular audience ticket buyers, one insider told me.
Luxe Life will be back with new photos and a new Celine story tomorrow as our countdown reaches just eight final performances!