As a Casino boss, it is very important to us who is playing in the Main room and the lounge. The lounge is instrumental in creating the "sound" of the casino. In the very early days, 1950s and 60s, the lounge acts were there to entertain the people who weren't playing so they wouldn't leave the casino.

In the early 50s the lounge act was usually a musical group of some kind. No stars, just some good music to give some "life" to the casino. Remember in those days, we had a very small casino with the lounge just to the side of it. The lounge would be open (no walls) to let them music through.

In the late 50s at The Sahara, the former Bingo Club, started putting some minor names in their lounge. This is the lounge you see in the Ocean's Eleven movie where Dean Martin is singing to the two woman sitting at the bar. It was a small, 6 ft deep by 12 feet wide, behind the bar. The Sahara put Louis Prima with Keely Smith and his group on that small stage.

It became the talk of the town at the time. Prima was a sensation. He had this combination of very loud uptempo music and a personality that gave his act instant recognition. Here was this New Orleans-type character with a great band of guys and a unusual girl singer. The contrast was amazing. Keely, who was married to Louis, came across as a quiet, not sure where I am and why am I up with these guys girl, till she started singing and then she was sensational.

Louis and Keely started the trend that went on for many years of putting name acts in the lounge. Not just "music" but acts that entertained the people.

Of course as the years past, we got them at The Sands. They did great for us. I can tell you from personal experience that Sinatra really liked and respected Keely's singing. I can remember times when he would be playing 21 and Louis is on. Then Keely would start singing in that beautiful, but haunting, voice and Frank would stop playing and listen and smile.

Two thoughts I have. One, she was very "Sinatra-like." Could sing so cool and so controlled but her personal life was explosive....

Another is that Frank in the early fifties would go to the Sahara to see Louis and Keely and that is where he first ran into Don Rickles and his act, which was another historic meeting.

When the Main room shows let out, all the big name entertainers would head to the lounge whenever Keely was playing.

Now a days the "music" of the casino is coins dropping into slot machines.The casino even use metal trays to catch the coins to make that noise.

There was a time when you could walk into a casino and hear the likes of a Keely Smith or a Frank Sinatra. Those were just some of the voices that made this this town a special place.