Columnist Joe Delaney: Barbutti has long history on Las Vegas stages

Joe Delaney

Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com.

Comedian Pete Barbutti was born in Scranton, Pa., an area that gave us bandleaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Russ Morgan ... He was a member of a co-op musical comedy group called the Millionaires ... They played a New Year's Eve date in South Bend, Ind., and then drove nonstop to Las Vegas to open in the Frontier hotel lounge on Jan. 2, 1960.

Frances Faye, a great entertainer but a most difficult person, headlined in the lounge, backed by a full complement of 20 jazz all-stars ... Faye sang and played at a 14-foot grand piano that covered the front of the small lounge stage; the band was assembled behind her, forcing the Millionaires to perform at the very back of the stage since Faye would not agree to stage changes between shows.

It was impossible for Barbutti and the group to perform under these circumstances ... Bill Miller, one of our town's best entertainment directors, was called back from vacation to fire the Millionaires.

What Pete did

A friendly bartender told Barbutti that Miller had been brought back to pay off the Millionaires and cancel them ... Figuring they had nothing to lose, Barbutti worked that show atop Faye's grand piano, brought the other members up with him, told off the management and all concerned ... It was a hilarious bit of impromptu, really the truth told in desperation.

Faye, incensed, canceled the rest of her engagement, but the Millionaires were kept on for the next year ... Drummer Joey Preston was a member and is best known for his days as the foundation for the great orchestras that backed Vic Damone in the 1960s and 1970s ... Preston is retired, but the Prestons and the Barbuttis still play cards once a week.

Barbutti decided to go on his own as a comedian in 1962, with disastrous first outings in Spokane, Wash., and Seattle ... Barbutti persevered ... Television star Steve Allen gave Barbutti his first break on national television.

Then came Carson

After a false start during his first stint on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," Barbutti came back to establish a record for number of appearances on Carson's show by a comedian ... During the 1970s and 1980s he was a regular at the Sahara in both the Congo Room and the Casbar Lounge ... Barbutti's first reputation was as a hip musical humorist.

Country superstar Mel Tillis was starring in the Sahara Congo Room, became ill and Barbutti was a last-minute substitute, earning standing ovations from an audience that was there to see Tillis ... His humor is universal; gentle yet deep ... He is a master at audience involvement ... Bill Cosby is his only equal when it comes to "Where are you from?"

Barbutti can do an hour ad-lib, free form, with the audience ... Musically, he is a classically trained pianist who can play the keyboard with his nose; he is a soloist both on the cigar and the acoustic broom.

Presently appearing

Barbutti is currently starring at Jackie Gaughan's Plaza in a revue that is about to be renamed "Naked Angels," formerly called "Hot Trix" ... The show features two comely female magicians, the "Hot Trix," and Karen Denise's "Naked Angels" ... We understand crowd counts have been improving ... Look for our critique in next Friday's Sun.

This Sunday's fifth annual Old Time Reunion Party at the Stardust should be the best one yet ... Call 382-6336 for tickets ... See you next Thursday.