The Saturday Seven: Over-The-Top, Glitzy Entertainers

Now here's a post with an odd collection of things you won't find anywhere else!

I was reading Palm Springs Life magazine recently and saw an ad for a new cookbook called The Joy of Liberace. The book's subtitle reads: "retro recipes from America's kitschiest kitchen", so I just had to order a copy. Liberace lived in Palm Springs and was a popular local resident. If Liberace were still alive, we'd practically be neighbors, his home is just a stone's throw from mine. His estate is still preserved to reflect his style- there is a giant metal candelabra in the front driveway. He was over-the-top, but he sure had his own sense of style, which got me thinking. There have been a handful of entertainers over the past 50 years or so who really had a certain je ne sais quoi with a joie de vivre. This brings me to another scintillating edition of

The Saturday Seven: Over-The-Top, Glitzy Entertainers

#1 Elvis Presley- From his rhinestone studded jumpsuits, glittery capes, huge sideburns, and incredible stage presence, he makes it to #1 on this list for me. The Elvis Presley house in Palm Springs is fairly understated, but they are developing it into a tourist destination similar to Graceland.

#2 Liberace- now this guy was REALLY over-the-top. How people never figured out he was gay was beyond me. I remember my parents taking me to see him in concert when I was a kid. He was a real showman- huge diamonds on every finger, showy costumes and campy as can be.

#3 Wayne Newton- Known as"Mr Las Vegas" after performing over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years. His signature song "Danke Schoen" made him a hit when he was just a teen. He is kitschy for sure, but I actually like him.

#4 Carol Channing- What is there to say about Miss Channing? I love her! She lives here in Palm Springs and is very active on the social scene. Last year I went to see her in concert with Debbie Reynolds, she was really really funny, and still has one heck of a voice on her. Her costumes are every bit as glittery as ever, and how she loves her diamonds!

#5 Sammy Davis Jr- An amazing performer who battled racial discrimination and broke down barriers when he became a superstar. He forced casinos in Las Vegas and hotel nightclubs in Miami Beach to end the segregation of black performers. He was a great member of Sinatra's Rat Pack, but Sammy also had his own style, and always wore lots of jewelry. I went to see him in concert twice, once at an outdoor tent theatre during a thunder storm. I remember him joking about attracting lightning from all the jewels he was wearing!

#6 Cher- This girl has worn some outrageous costumes on stage over her career to show off her incredible body. She has had an incredible career-from the early 60's with Sonny Bono to her own even more successful stints in acting, performing in Vegas, and a string of mega hit CDs. Her big booming voice matches her huge personality.

#7 James Brown- The Godfather of Soul and known as "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", there will never be anyone like James Brown. He was a GREAT entertainer, who made GREAT music. He loved to wear all sorts of wild costumes, jewelry, tight pants, and sometimes performed bare-chested. He was a classic for sure.

Bonus entry- Siegfried and Roy- A good friend of mine used to refer to them as "those two queens in Vegas with the big cats". He wasn't far off. Their long running show in Las Vegas was over-the-top, amazing and eye-popping, including that final performance when the cat dragged Roy offstage by the throat, which was so sad. Roy is on the mend these days, but not performing anymore.

Did I miss any other Over-the-top, glitzy entertainers? Leave a Comment and tell me!

-Rick Rockhill