Columnist Jerry Fink: Trying to find a gig is singer St. John’s work

Friday, Sept. 20, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

It's a common story.

A brilliant entertainer with a long history in Las Vegas can't find a local gig. His or her talent is more appreciated in the Midwest or the South or in Europe, or even Laughlin.

Loretta St. John is among the growing multitude of gifted artists wondering where all the jobs have gone.

"It's frustrating for me," St. John said recently at the Bootlegger Bistro, where she sometimes sings for free on open-mike nights just to keep her chops. "Every lounge has a rock 'n' roll band, but most of the audience has blue hair. Younger adults bring their kids to Vegas, they can't sit in a lounge."

St. John is an extraordinary talent. She has performed at lounges all over town and opened for such legends as Billy Eckstein, Della Reese, Jack Jones and Jackie Gayle.

One of her longest local gigs was at the Westward Ho, from 1982 to 1988. She was at Sahara for three years. During her more than 30 years as a Las Vegas resident she has graced the stages of the Dunes (defunct), Hacienda (defunct), Sands (defunct), Maxim (closed; recently sold), MGM Grand (moved), Aladdin (resurrected), Caesars Palace and many others.

"I was a busy girl," St. John said. "But things have slowed down quite a bit. I'm not doing as much in Vegas anymore -- it's been about a year since I performed here. I would like to, but the work is not there. All the people who know my work are gone, because the hotels have been sold.

"I'm competing with people wearing blue jeans onstage, and that's not my style."

And St. John has plenty of style, something she has acquired during a lifetime of performing.

She was born in Philadelphia about 50 years ago -- South Philly, the hometown of Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Jim Croce, Al Martino and countless other singers.

"When I was 3 years old I would memorize adult songs and perform," St. John recalled. "Nobody in my family was a professional entertainer, but my grandfather wanted to be. He was my greatest influence. He was really a piece of work, a 4-foot-6-inch little Italian guy who was always singing and dancing."

St. John sang with bands while still in high school.

"I never really decided to be a professional entertainer," she said. "It just sort of evolved. I was an art major in high school, and I used to take art courses at night. One night a friend said a band was playing at a bar around the corner. They were lax about checking IDs so we snuck in and pretty soon, me being the ham that I am, I got up onstage and started singing with the band and they offered me a job.

"I started working with them on weekends, then four days a week and then five. Pretty soon, we were on the road."

After high school graduation, she went on a tour with the group but ended up in Las Vegas. It was 1969.

"I loved it," St. John said. "Howard Hughes already had started buying hotels here, but I did get to see the old Las Vegas, while it was still a happening place."

Her first gig was at the Fremont hotel.

"Fremont Street used to be packed all the time, because they had good entertainment downtown, 24 hours a day," St. John said.

There was lots of work back then. St. John performed at the Top of the Dunes with the Russ Morgan Jazz Trio, she spent a couple of weeks at the Thunderbird with an all-girl band, Run Away Candy Machine; she performed in "Once Upon a Mattress" at the Desert Inn."

All of that, and more, in a span of two years.

"Then, I auditioned for the Playboy Club circuit," St. John said.

After a brief tour with that circuit, she joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra's revival band and went on a world tour for six months.

She then returned to Vegas and headlined in an ice show at the Hacienda and sang backup for Bobby Darin shortly before he died. She also sang backup for Wayne Newton for a year.

"I was going bananas," St. John said. "I have too much talent to sing backup. What I do is very unique."

What she does is sing every variety of music, but rap -- and she sings in 20 different languages.

"I sing in Italian because I'm Italian," St. John said. "Spanish came easily, they are very similar."

She also sings in French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Mandarin and other languages.

"I have such a deep fascination of anything ethnic," St. John said. "And it's such a joy to see the reaction from people of different countries when I sing a song in their native tongue."

She said she knows three songs in each language, and (using phonetics) sings them perfectly.

"I have learned to say many things in each language," St. John said. "Such as 'Hello,' 'How are you?' 'What's your name?' Where are you from?' 'Are you married?' 'Are you rich?' 'Are you single?' The important things."

Today, St. John spends more time performing in Houston than Vegas.

"I get messages from fans on my hotline all the time, wanting to know when I'm going to perform in Las Vegas again," she said. "It hurts."

Lounging around

Chuy's Company is scheduled to perform tonight and Saturday at Tuscany's Piazza Lounge, on East Flamingo Road (between Paradise Road and Koval Lane).

Jerry Tiffe, the man with the big-band sound, pops up all over town: Tuesdays he's at Boulder Station's Railhead from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays he's from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Sunset Station's Club Madrid; Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Arizona Charlie's Naughty Ladies Saloon; Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Texas Station's The Armadillo.

Vocalist Louina Champoux will be at San Remo's Bonne Chance Lounge tonight and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Jazz notes: Raj Rathor and Justin Vogel at the JW Marriott's OXO Lounge, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; saxophonist Rocky Gordon and The Killer Groove Band at Gordon Biersch Brewery (3987 Paradise Road) for Sunday Jazz Brunch, noon to 3 p.m.; Irv Kluger All Stars, Fridays 8 p.m. to midnight at Pogo's Tavern; Tommy Thompson Project, alternates with guitarist Ronnie Rathers Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Paris' Napoleon Lounge.

Legendary Cook E. Jarr still packs them in with his high-kitsch performances at Harrah's Carnaval Court from midnight to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Louie Louie is at Sunset Station's Club Madrid, 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.