*That's pronounced with a soft 'g' for all you diehard Bobby fans out there!
We chose The Flamingo as the official headquarters for the Bobby Darin Musical Tribute for a variety of reasons. In the hotel's own words:
"Bugsy Siegel's desert dream, The Flamingo, has anchored the Las Vegas Strip since they started rolling dice in 1946. This self-contained casino and resort
offers everything an adventurous vacationer could want, including a Wildlife Habitat and a 15-acre Caribbean-style water playground."
We had a few of our own reasons, too.
Firstly, Bobby Darin is here in two ways. One is his picture on the wall. The other is his star right outside the hotel. We loved his picture being in a very visible place, and we loved visiting his star every day. (Sometimes more than once a day!) They have not forgotten Bobby Darin at The Flamingo and we wanted to support them and let them know it!!
This photograph of Wayne Newton and Bobby Darin
graces a prominent wall at The Flamingo
Secondly, we love the location. Each night, we walked the exciting Las Vegas strip, which was right outside our door. We could see the bright lights of the places Bobby played: Harrahs, The Desert Inn (now Wynn Las Vegas), the Sands (now The Venetian), Sahara's, and the Las Vegas Hilton. We visited the volcano at the Mirage and the music fountain display at the Bellagio. We could feel the excitement and imagine what it must have been like when Bobby was there.
At the end of our walks, we stopped to say good night to Bobby's star. Sometimes there were people standing on it and we let them know that . . . well, they were in our way. We wanted to see it. That was really a polite way of saying, "GET OFF!" They always did and were very nice about it. One night, two attractive gentlemen looked down to see what we were looking at, then stepped aside and apologized to us for standing on Bobby Darin. You bettah!
Sandra Jeffries, Lori Slinn, and Linda Diane Twersky
say 'goodnight' to Bobby's Star
Thirdly, Bobby's amazing performance at The Flamingo, November 1963, is captured on CD. During this performance, Bobby announced that this would be "the closing night club performance for me for quite a while." At 27, he decided to take a hiatus from live performing both for his health and his marriage to actress Sandra Dee. The young performer, whose extraordinary talents and skills were well beyond his years, already needed oxygen after his strenuous performances.
Originally released as The Curtain Falls: Live At The Flamingo, this CD is a must have. It was rereleased as Bobby Darin: Live in Las Vegas as part of the Las Vegas Centennial Collection.
Both CDs contain this same wonderful material:
Hello, Young Lovers
Ace In The Hole
You're Nobody 'Till Somebody Loves You
Splish Splash-Beyond The Sea-Artificial Flowers-Clementine Medley
My Funny Valentine
I Walk The Line - (parody)
Eighteen Yellow Roses
Mack The Knife
Comedy Routine
Work Song
Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)
Mary, Don't You Weep
I'm On My Way Great God
The Curtain Falls
Nextly, or rather, lastly but not leastly, we love The Flamingo's natural wildlife habitat. In addition to the flamingoes (of course!), they have swans, ducks, Japanese koi, and turtles populating these grounds. All of their animals are carefully tended by experts and live on islands and streams surrounded by sparkling waterfalls and lush foliage.
Each morning, we started our day among the birds and the beauty of nature. It is a serene and calming escape from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas strip. It is a place we can imagine Bobby enjoying.
Relevant Links:
Picture of Bobby performing at the The Flamingo (1962)
Bobby Darin Receives 19th Star On Las Vegas Sidewalk
Friends mark Bobby Darin birthday with sidewalk star
Darin honored in Vegas
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