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| September 26, 2008 | NEWEST - PRIOR WEEK - ARCHIVES |
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| "It's The Norm" - Las Vegas Entertainment Events | |
UNLV HONORS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
A week ago Thursday (Sept. 18th) became a very special day in the life of a number of people: Clint Holmes, The Killers, Tony Marnell, Vassili Sulich and my friend, Robert Goulet, for they were all inducted into The Nevada Entertainer / Artist Hall of Fame. The honors were created by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to recognize those individuals who have made countless contributions to Nevada and the City of Las Vegas. The award is named "The Sidney" after the first inductee to the Hall of Fame, George Sidney. Sidney was a pioneer and a giant during the Golden Age of the film industry and was a three-time Academy Award winning director. In 2002, prior to his passing, Sidney was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, one of the highest honors an individual can receive from UNLV. There is also a Sidney Scholarship, established by Corinne Entratter Sidney (George's widow) and Edward Fein, which honors three deserving, artistic students, with financial assistance each year.
Each of the recipients were most deserving of the honor bestowed upon them that evening: Holmes has established himself as a gift to our community in his performances and contribution of time and talents to countless charities; Tony Marnell is well known as one of the top architects in Nevada (and elsewhere), having designed and built the MGM / Mirage and Wynn Las Vegas to name just two of his accomplishments; The Killers are a Las Vegas-based four-piece band formed in 2003, featuring the talents of Brandon Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci, Dave Keuning and Mark Stoermer, who have shot to the top of the charts worldwide, and are the first home-grown band to ever accomplish such a feat ; Vassili Sulich, who has received many honors around the world for his brilliant talent as a ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. He established the Nevada Dance Theatre in 1974, with Nancy Houssels (which was later renamed Nevada Ballet Theatre, with Nancy Houssels); and the last person to be inducted was my buddy, Robert Goulet. |
Mr. Goulet passed one year ago, Oct. 30th, at the age of 73. Mrs. Robert Vera (Chochorovska Novak) Goulet, his wife, best friend and companion for more than 28 years, accepted the award for her husband. Incidentally, Thursday night, Sept. 19, 2008, was remarkable in a strange way: One year earlier, to the day, Goulet, his conductor, Vince Falcone, Vera and Phil Randall were on an airplane heading for Syracuse, New York, where Robert was to perform a concert the next evening, which turned out to be his final curtain call. Soon after returning to Las Vegas on Sept. 21, Goulet was diagnosed with a form of pulmonary fibrosis, and on Sept. 30, 2007, was rushed to St. Rose Hospital, and later transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where he took his final breath, Oct 30, 2007. Vera Goulet had a wonderful film produced by her friends, Tony and Patrick, covering just a bit of Robert's fabulous career, which received a standing ovation from the audience at its completion. Vera was beautiful this particular evening (of course she is always beautiful) and spoke from the heart about the man she loved and who had made Las Vegas his home in 1980. Like Holmes, Goulet was always available for a benefit performance or for other good causes in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. In another aside, it was in 1982, Arbor Day, when UNLV honored him with the planting of a special Oak tree, purchased in Arizona, near the Performing Arts Center, where the Hall of Fame honors its inductees. The final curtain was a shining moment for the audience, as Vera presented a very personal film of Robert Goulet performing, "The Happy Time," on the screen.  In October of 2000, Robert wrote: "I will be remembered by my Vera, family and friends. There will be sadness and some tears, but shared memories will evoke much laughter and that will make me happy. They should discern a chortle from my urn!" My epitaph shall read - "He left them smiling!" That's it for this moment. I'm outa here!
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