You never forget your first time…in Las Vegas. It was January, 2011. I was 25 years old with 10 years of performing in South Texas under my belt. It was time for my first vacation and Vegas had always called to me. The Elvis of it all, nightlife, the entertainment capital of the world, all the things! I was ready to explore!
I arrived at The Bellagio for my 8 day stay and immediately ran over to catch the fountains dancing on the lake. As I stood there, taking in the magic of the city, I said out loud to myself, “I have to live here…I WILL live here.” To this day, every time I watch the fountains I’m taken back to that moment.
After getting settled in I walked across the street to Planet Hollywood and saw a store with flashy clothes in the window. Don’t threaten me with a good time! As I was trying on jackets covered in stones and sequins an employee named Marco came up and asked, “Are you an Entertainer? You LOOK like an entertainer.” I informed him I was back in Texas but today I was just a tourist. He invited me to join him at The Bootlegger Italian Bistro for Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret. “I’ll talk to Kelly and get you up to sing.” Mind you this was the first person I had met in Vegas and this was how it was going. I felt like I was in a movie. After scoring some shirts and a jacket that would make Liberace blush, I was ready for my debut!
Watching Kelly and Clint Holmes entertain was a masterclass of Vegas Showmanship. I nervously got up and sang Tiny Dancer to an audience full of Vegas performers. Felt so good to hear that applause. I was hooked. I met Skye Dee Miles that night who was so kind and invited me out to see her perform in Menopause the Musical the following night. She took time after that show to meet with me and spill the tea on the in’s and out’s of being a Vegas Entertainer. I’ll never forget her generosity. I also met an entertainer named Nicholas Brooks who had headlined in Vegas and was and is one of the greatest Sammy Davis Jr. Tribute Artists in The Rat Pack Show. He was kind enough to offer me a room to rent if I ever decided to move out and give Vegas a shot. Again, this was day one of my vacation. A year later I left Texas and took him up on his offer.
To have a dream and truly chase it, is not for the faint of heart. Those first years were tough, hitting the pavement and begging for an opportunity. Tommy Rocker was one of the first to put me on stage and give me a platform to make new friends and fans that I still have and cherish to this day.
I’ve been so blessed to survive the struggle of being a starving artist. The generosity and love in this town is unmatched. To those who opened up their hearts and their homes to me, I will forever be grateful.
All I ever wanted was to have my little cowboy hat be a small part of the Las Vegas Entertainment landscape. I am over three years into my Friday Night Vegas Country Residency at Notoriety and am playing with my band at Ole Red and Gilley’s…all on the Las Vegas Strip! I have the most amazing loyal following a guy could ask for and a manager who keeps me booked, blessed and busy all over the world. What more could a Rhinestone Cowboy from Victoria Texas ask for?
Dreams do come true in Las Vegas, but you gotta go all in!
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