Freddie Bell died last week, and outside of a small circle of friends, too few people noticed.  Just like blowing up the hotels on the Strip, each time we lose one of our legendary entertainers we lose Las Vegas history.   Freddie, and performers of his era built Las Vegas, as much as Steve Wynn or Bugsy Siegel.  For Las Vegas, entertainment and especially lounge shows were a big draw in the 1950’s and 60’s.  Freddie, with the likes of Louis Prima, Keely Smith, The Kim Sisters, Don Rickles, and many, many, more, put Las Vegas on the map as an all night entertainment town.

Freddie was from a different era, before Las Vegas became expensive shopping malls, dark & loud nightclubs, and celebrity restaurants.    Freddie was an entertainers’ entertainer.  After the headliners finished their shows, they would jam with Freddie and other lounge entertainers until dawn.  Las Vegas lounge acts were notorious around the world for great entertainment and good times. 

Thankfully recognition is not the only reason for our existence.  The quality of friends says a lot about Freddie.  He had many great friends, and last Sunday night they put on a celebration.  If the sum of his life could be expressed in the quality of friends, he had a great life.