Carter visit to cover a variety of events

Thursday, March 22, 2001 | 8:18 a.m.

Former President Jimmy Carter is mixing business with pleasure during a five-day stay at the Venetian this week.

Besides speaking engagements and book signings, Carter reportedly plans to take some time to listen to one of his favorite pianists, David Osborne.

Osborne, billed as the "pianist to the presidents," currently plays Wednesdays through Sundays at Cafe Lago at Caesars Palace. Tonight the musician is scheduled to take some time off to have dinner with Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, at Caesar's Magical Empire.

Following dinner Osborne said the Carters will accompany him to Cafe Lago where he will perform for the couple.

Carter was scheduled to be a guest speaker this morning at the Cellular Telecommunications Industries Association's Wireless 2001 Convention at the Sands Expo.

The event, which was expected to draw 30,000 participants, began Tuesday and was to end this evening.

At 1 p.m. Friday Carter is scheduled to be at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on North Rainbow Boulevard to sign copies of his 15th book, "An Hour Before Daylight," (Simon & Schuster, $26). The book is about his childhood in rural Georgia.

Osborne met Carter in 1988 when the former president was on a book-signing tour in Orlando, Fla., where the pianist was working. The two men struck up a friendship that has lasted 13 years.

While living in Florida, Osborne frequently visited the Carters' Georgia home.

Osborne has played for a number of presidents in addition to Carter, including George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.