Rock 'n' roll fantasy camp beds down in Las Vegas

Guitarist Slash (R) performs with attendees at the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas, Nevada in this 2007 publicity photo released to Reuters September 5, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp/Handout

By Iain Blair

LOS ANGELES | Fri Sep 7, 2012 12:42pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After traveling the world and giving aspiring musicians a chance to jam with their favorite stars, the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp announced Thursday it was setting up a permanent home in Las Vegas.

Starting in October, aspiring rockers who have dreamed of playing with their musical heroes can sign up for the camp's courses at the MGM Grand hotel and casino. Upcoming camps will feature rock legends as Roger Daltrey, Jack Bruce, Alice Cooper, Dave Navarro, Sammy Hagar, Gene Simmons and Vince Neil.

Camp founder David Fishof, a former manager and tour producer for Ringo Starr and The Monkees, said he had been looking for a permanent location for some time to cope with growing demand.

"It gets bigger every year," said Fishof. He estimated that since its start, over 7,000 rock star wannabes have attended the camps, which have been held six times a year in various locations including New York, Philadelphia and London.

Prices vary but a five-day camp with a star like Simmons is about $9,500 including hotel accommodation and meals, instruments and a performance at the MGM Grand hotel.

Fishof said the camps attract a cross-section of people.

"We get mothers, 15-year-old kids, top executives and music fans from all over the country, and the common denominator is their love for music - and many of them keep coming back, they love the experience so much," he said.

Now, the faithful will have a permanent shrine at which to worship.

The 10,000 square-foot (930 square-meter) facility in Vegas will also offer a "Rock Star for the Day" package for visitors to the city, consisting of a two- to three-hour jam session with famous musicians.

"What I love about Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp is watching these people learn so much in such a short space of time and having fun," Roger Daltrey of The Who, who will be appearing at the new camp in January 2013, said in a statement.

Simmons of KISS fame will inaugurate the new Vegas digs by headlining the October 10-14 camp, along with special guest rock stars including Vince Neil (Motley Crue), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, Black Label Society).

Additional camps are scheduled throughout the 2012-2013 season; headlining the November 7-11 camp as a "salute to the blues" will be Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers) and Jack Bruce (Cream), followed by Daltrey who will headline the January 23-27 camp featuring Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction.) Alice Cooper will headline the February 14-18 camp with Sammy Hagar headlining the March 6-10 camp.

Further details are available at www.rockcamp.com.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Lisa Shumaker)

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Elton John cancels Vegas dates due to infection

Musician Elton John performs during the benefit ''Songs From the Silver Screen'' to raise funds for The Rainforest Trust at Carnegie Hall in New York April 3, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Carlo Allegri

NEW YORK | Thu May 24, 2012 6:41pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Elton John was treated in hospital in Los Angeles for a serious respiratory infection that forced him to cancel performances this weekend of his "The Million Dollar Piano" show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

In a statement posted on his website on Thursday, the British entertainer, whose hits include "Rocket Man," "Your Song" and "Bennie and The Jets," apologized for the decision and told fans he hoped to be performing soon.

The singer said he developed a serious respiratory illness while performing on Sunday. After the condition worsened he was hospitalized and had tests at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where he remained throughout the day on Wednesday. He was given antibiotics and told not to perform for a week.

"It feels strange not to be able to perform these 'Million Dollar Piano' concerts at The Colosseum. I love performing this show and will be thrilled when we return to The Colosseum in October to complete the eleven concerts soon to be scheduled," he said.

Fans with tickets for the canceled shows can exchange them or get a refund.

John opened his Las Vegas act last September and began a second series of performances in February. A child piano prodigy, John, 65, rose from a part-time pub player to become one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

He completed a 5-year residency at the Colosseum in 2009 with "The Red Piano", which ran for 241 shows.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Doina Chiacu)

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Singer Jenni Rivera honored with Las Vegas star (AP)

LAS VEGAS – Singer Jenni Rivera and former major league pitcher Esteban Loaiza are each getting a place on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.

The Mexican power couple was honored at the Eastside Cannery casino in Las Vegas Friday night in a ceremony punctuated by mariachi music and glowing speeches given by friends and family. Rivera is giving a concert at the casino Saturday night to mark her 42nd birthday.

Rivera tearfully thanked her fans as she surveyed the granite stars recognizing her and her husband.

"You make me," she said.

The 200-pound granite stars were scheduled to be installed Saturday on the Las Vegas Strip outside the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino alongside stars dedicated to Dean Martin, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

The singer of hits "Contraband" and "Guilty or Innocent" hopes to win her first Grammy soon.

"One day I'll get it," she said of the celebrated music award.

Mexican boxer Fernando Vargas said Rivera deserved the recognition.

"I know the Mexican people love her a lot, as they should," he said.

Rivera was born in Long Beach, Calif., to Mexican parents. Loaiza was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and during his long career played for a variety of teams including the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The couple wed last year.

Rivera said she and Loaiza were both fans of the other before they met at one of her concerts.

"Well, he pitched and I caught it," she said with a laugh.

Las Vegas Walk of Stars spokesman Pablo Castro Zavala said Rivera's fans demanded the couple be recognized. Of the 54 stars handed out since the organization was founded more than six years ago, nearly half have gone to Latin American celebrities.

"She's got thousands of fans in Las Vegas," said Zavala.

Rivera and Loaiza are the second couple to be recognized by the Las Vegas Strip attraction. Cuban music icons Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan were given a shared star last year.

Rivera, who was encouraged to pursue a singing career by her father, recalled her early days as a performer, when she was paid $100 to do five shows. She said she became famous to show her children that persistence was the best way to respond to critics.

"If it wasn't for my children, I wouldn't have this drive to succeed," she said.

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