Daily Archives: June 27, 2009

Michael Jackson’s Death Draws Huge Auction Sales in Las Vegas

Before he died, Michael Jackson was on the down and out, broke to the tune of approximately $50 million- and growing.  

Now that he’s gone, sales for any of his memorabilia are skyrocketing, with his children and estate executor more than likely well taken care of for their lifetimes. 

On Friday, Julien’s Auction sold photos of Jackson, autographed albums and other memorabilia for a hefty sum at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. 

Jackson’s lot was expected to gross $10,000 to $30,000.  It raked in $205,000.

“He’s back on top. He’s shining with the stars in heaven,” said Warwick Stone, who bought a piece of Jackson. 

A Jackson 5 album signed by the band garnered $27,000.  Vintage photos: $2,200.  A Victory Tour costume shirt of Michael’s: $42,000. 

Stone finds it sad but true that it takes dying to put Jackson’s value “back on the top.”

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Search on for Michael Jackson’s Doctor in Las Vegas

Yesterday, the Los Angeles County coroner finished their three-hour autopsy of Michael Jackson and found no signs of trauma or foul play leading to his death on Thursday.  Spokesman Craig Harvey said a cause of death might not be known for four to six weeks, pending results from toxicology, pulmonary and neuropathology tests. 

With the wait anticipated, that’s especially why investigatars want to find and question a Las Vegas physician who supposedly has been treating Jackson for the past three years and was at Jackson’s mansion when the iconic signer stopped breathing, desperately trying CPR to revive. 

The doctor at the heart of the investigation is Conrad F. Murray, a cardiologist with offices in Las Vegas and Houston. ConradMurray

Murray was hired by AEG Live to accompany the pop star to London for his “This is It” tour of 50 concerts planned in London, said AEG Live President and Chief Executive Randy Phillips. 

“As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired,” Phillips told The Associated Press. “Michael said he had a rapport with him.” 

“We do not consider him to be uncooperative at this time,” said police Los Angeles Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, noting that detectives spoke with the doctor after Jackson’s death. “We think that he will assist us in coming to the truth of the facts in this case.” 

Beck, however, declined to answer questions about how long the doctor had been with Jackson before paramedics were summoned, or if any drugs had been administered to the singer. 

Phillips said AEG Live advanced Jackson money to pay for Murray’s services as part of the production costs. Phillips said he asked Jackson why he wanted Murray with him full-time. 

“He just said, `Look, this whole business revolves around me. I’m a machine and we have to keep the machine well-oiled,’ and you don’t argue with the King of Pop,” Phillips said. 

Phillips attended Jackson’s rehearsal at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday night, when the entertainer was on stage for about three hours before leaving at 12:30 a.m. 

“He was dancing as well or better than the 20-year-old dancers we surrounded him with,” the promoter said. “He was riveting. I thought we were home free. I thought this was going to be the greatest live show ever produced. He looked great.” 

“This wasn’t as strenuous as a tour. There was no travel,” Phillips said. “He and the kids were going to be living in this beautiful home outside London and shows were spread out over six months. For him, it seemed like the perfect way to come back.” 

Phillips added AEG Live held multiple insurance policies covering cancellation of the shows.  

“We had pretty good coverage, but a lot of it is going to depend on the toxicology results,” he said. “We need to know what the cause of death was.” 

Murray has spent a decade living and practicing in Las Vegas.  Though he has not been subject of disciplinary action by the Nevada medical or pharmarcy boards, the same can’t be said for his legal and financial health. 

Murray, who currently lives in a 5,268-square foot home with four bedrooms and a pool near the Red Rock Country Club in Summerlin, opened in 2000 his Global Cardiovascular Associates medical practice on East Flamingo Road near Eastern Avenue.    Two years later his legal problems started.  

In February 2002, the Clark County district attorney’s office filed a lien against Murray because of unpaid child support owed to Nenita Malibiran in California.  That case followed him throughout the decade. 

In 2006 he was hit with another lien for nearly $3,100 in unpaid child support, and as recently as June 10, the district attorney’s office filed to collect $10,893 in back child support owed to Malibiran in Santa Clara County in California, according to county records. 

Murray had trouble paying other personal debts, as well. 

Captial One Bank sued Murray in October and won a default judgement for $960 plus $408 in interest and legal fees.  Then, in March, HICA Education Loan Corp. won a $71,332 civil judgement against Murray, who failed to repay his student loans from his medical school days 20 years ago at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., according to court records. 

Murray and his company have also faced a litany of lawsuits in the past three years for unpaid bills and business obligations. 

Lawsuits from Citicorp Vendor Finance and Popular Leasing U.S.A. ended with judgements against Murray totaling $363,722, and two pending lawsuits from Digirad Imaging Solutions and Siemens Financial Services are seeking judgements totaling $366,541. 

Murray has been registered to vote in Clark County since 2004 but does not have a Nevada driver’s license, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. 

On Friday, his office in Las Vegas was locked and dark with a closed sign hanging from the door.  Supposedly, according to TMZ.com, Murray notified employees in a note that he was leaving “temporarily,” adding “in my absence, I will continue to manage the practice, and be involved as much as possible but from a distance.”

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Danny Gans Las Vegas Death Probe Ends with Publishing of 911 Tape Transcript

For many citizens of Las Vegas and throughout the United States, entertainer Danny Gans was an iconic figure, as much a part of Las Vegas background as the Mirage where he worked for almost nine years. So it stands to reason that the 911 tape of Gans’s wife trying to resuscitate him would be equally memorable.

It also closes the books on a police case that has had speculation buzzing for over a month.

According to The Associated Press, Clark County Police released the 911 tape, along with an incident report that details the police’s response to the emergency call.

On the tape, Julie Gans can be heard telling dispatcher Kaulana Flatt: “My husband, um, I can’t wake him up.”

“Is he breathing?” Flatt said.

“I can’t tell,” Julie Gans replies. “I can’t hear anything. I’m trying to feel a pulse.”

The line then falls silent for several seconds as Julie Gans begins chest compressions. She can be overheard saying “One, two, three, four, five.”

For over three minutes, Julie Gans valiantly tries to revive her husband as Flatt coaches her. The call is time stamped at 3:40 a.m. Police arrived seven minutes later. Danny Gans was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to Clark County coroner report, Gans died of an adverse reaction to the painkiller hydromorphone–better known as dilaudid, a powerful opiate used to control pain. In an interview later with police, Julie Gans confirmed that Danny was prescribed hydromorphone by doctors, but that he didn’t use it regularly.

According to Julie Gans, on the day of Danny’s death, her husband played golf, received a massage and went to bed. Julie Gans noticed something was wrong when she woke up and noticed he wasn’t snoring. That’s when she called 911.

According to Detective Chad Mitchell of the Las Vegas Police Department, Julie Gans complied with a criminal forensic expert’s request to view Danny Gans’s medication.

Foul play is not suspected in Gans’ death.

For over a decade, Danny Gans was a mainstay in on the Las Vegas entertainment scene, performing initially as a comedian in corporate functions throughout the United States. In 2000, Gans signed with the Mirage, a sister casino of the recently built Wynn Encore casino in Las Vegas.

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UFC Fighter Randy Couture Scurries Back in the Cage

Las Vegan Randy “The Natural” Couture will meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 at the Rose Garden inRandyCouture Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, the UFC confirmed. 

The 45-year-old Couture (16-7) has not fought since losing his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 last November. 

The 33-year-old Nogueira (31-5-1) is coming off a loss to Frank Mir at UFC 92 in December.

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Bloody (Mary) Revolution in Las Vegas

One of the fastest emerging beverage trends – at least, a fad – in Las Vegas is the build-your-own-bloody-Mary bar.  Weekly new bars are offering outlets for budding bar chefs to mix and create their own brand of signature brunch cocktails from over 40 ingredients.

Already getting into the spirits- Abbey Road Bar at the Revolution Lounge, Simon’s Restaurant’s Sunday brunches, and also the new Bambu Bar at Mandalay Bay that opens on June 18, providing guests an elegant island feel.

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Michael Jackson Acts in Las Vegas Get Tribute Style Facelifts

Michael Jackson’s death has caused Las Vegas impressionists and comedians to scurry and quickly alter their acts, turning satirical scenes into sincere tributes. TerryFator3

Mirage headliner Terry Fator said he would cut a segment where he dresses up as Jackson and asks a cowboy puppet named Walter for country music lessons, where the cowboy is a little wary of the superstar. 

Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown is changing his Jackson impression of the “Billie Jean” song that has a parody of jokes about the singer having body parts fall off after too much plastic surgery. 

“American Superstars,” which features Frederick Henry performing at the Stratosphere, is looking for a way to pay a serious tribute to Jackson. 

Carrot Top’s publicist, Steve Flynn, said the Luxor comedian’s crew has already started editing the show-closing rock sequence which features Jackson’s music.  The comedian has removed all jokes that made fun of Jackson, but kept in a moment where he strikes a Jackson pose in front of an industrial fan, repositioning it as a tribute.

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Lindsay Lohan coming to Las Vegas today

While Lindsay Lohan won’t turn 23 until July 2, the scandal-prone redhead plans to have a pre-B-day bash at Wet Republic in super-sunny Las Vegas this weekend. 

Lohan herself prefers to spray-tan instead of achieving an authentic sun-kissed glow – she does, after all, have her own line of tan-in-a-can, Sevin Nyne tanning mist.  Lilo, however, is planning to catch some rays Saturday afternoon at the MGM Grand out by the pool. 

Cake and Red Bull will also likely be served.

No word on whether or not her on-again/off-again DJ girlfriend, Samantha Ronson, will be joining her.

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