Joe Delaney remembers 1981: Cosby and Cole at the LV Hilton

Friday, Feb. 9, 2001 | 9:13 a.m.

Comedian Bill Cosby was a Las Vegas Hilton headliner mainstay throughout the 1980s. Natalie Cole had gone through her be-another-Aretha Franklin period. Neither realized during a 1981 engagement that super-stardom was in store for both artists. Cosby hit in 1984 with "The Cosby Show," taking NBC from a poor third to No. 1 in one year. Cole had to wait until 1991, when her duet with her late father on "Unforgettable" won seven Grammy Awards. Cosby still works here once or twice a year, usually for a long weekend at the Mirage. Cole was a Caesars Palace regular until the Circus Maximus closed last year. She appeared earlier this month at Paris Las Vegas.

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