Tribute set at Sahara for Shauntee

Friday, April 13, 2001 | 9:22 a.m.

Lounge entertainers -- and one former lounge entertainer -- will pay tribute Monday to one of their own who died in a car accident last month.

Clint Holmes, who performed in lounges for years before changing career directions to become a headliner, leads a cast of singers who will appear in the Golden Room at the Sahara to honor Kenny Shauntee with a memorial fund-raiser.

The four-hour show will begin at 7 p.m. The minimum donation for the event is $10.

Shauntee was a member of Area 51, the Sahara's house band that appears at the Casbar Lounge. He was killed March 30 when the car he was driving was struck by another car that failed to stop at a red light, Metro Police said.

Area 51, which includes Shauntee's brother, Dana, will be among those performing with Holmes. Others who will appear include the Checkmates, Lawrence T., Sound Box and Smooth, a group that also performs at the Casbar.

The 47-year-old Shauntee, a singer and bass player, began performing on the Strip in 1979. For a time he was the opening act for Redd Foxx. He joined Area 51 last year.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Kenny Shauntee Memorial Fund, to be used for the benefit of the family, according to Sahara spokeswoman Stephanie Wilson.