VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Neil plays rough in charitable cause

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2003 | 10:34 a.m.

He is a hard rocker with a soft heart. Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil is again hosting the Skylar Neil Memorial Golf Tournament, but this year it moves from Malibu, Calif., to Las Vegas.

"You are not going to want to miss a minute of this," Neil, a Las Vegas resident, told VegasBeat.

In 1995 Neil lost his daughter, Skylar, to stomach cancer. Since then, he said, "I have endeavored to do everything I can to help raise awareness and much-needed funding for children's illnesses."

Funds raised at the various events go primarily toward the Lili Claire Foundation and the T.J. Martell Fund.

In addition to the Oct. 23 tourney at the Tuscany Golf Club, Neil and his new band are doing a fund-raising concert the night before at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Also, adult film star Jenna Jameson is hosting a dinner and live auction.

Participants have included Judd Nelson, MC Hammer, No Doubt's Adrian Young, Downtown Julie Brown, Shari Belafonte, "Beverly Hills 90210's" Gabrielle Carteris and 2001 Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick.

Big news

International media continues to stay on top of the Roy Horn tragedy.

Siegfried appeared on "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night and made his first comments to the American media on The Mirage mauling.

The nation's self-proclaimed paper of record, the august New York Times, had an editorial on the matter Tuesday, and followed it with an Arts section front-page story Wednesday about the future -- and history -- of acts that feature death-defying stunts, such as Penn & Teller's bullet-catching routine and Rick Thomas' Tropicana tiger act.

Future shock

Las Vegas resident and former "Puttin' on the Hits" television show host Allen Fawcett has created a new psychic-themed reality show for Fox.

He'll predict what various guests will be doing 12 months in the future.

As Fawcett told us, "I know, it is an amazing concept." As long as the show lasts for an entire 12 months, that is.

No airdate has been announced.

Party time

What does a woman who usually dresses as a Playboy bunny wear for Halloween?

You can find out at the Riviera, which is hosting a Halloween party with American High Roller cigars and the men's magazine.

The Riv is also hosting a Flirt International Model Search on Halloween weekend; Flirt is a naughty lingerie line and catalog.

There are several sexy Halloween parties that weekend at the hotel, most open to the public. Tickets are expected to go on sale at the hotel box office in a few days.

On Saturday night the Riv is hosting its first major outdoor concert in 20 years when country singer Lorrie Morgan brings her romantic talents to a stage under the stars, where she'll be joined by Grammy winner John Michael Montgomery ("I Swear").

TV party

The B.U.S.E. networking event came to a bit of a halt Tuesday night at the Stirling Club. Seems everyone started watching television -- first the thrilling extra-inning playoff game between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins, and then the California recall election results.

Best line of the evening came from a local real estate type standing with event organizer Jimmy Foster.

"I am not sure if Arnold Schwarzenegger ever brought in a movie under budget -- so why does anyone think he can bring in the state of California under budget?" the private broker wagged.

VegasBits

Rally: "Baywatch" babe Pamela Anderson, a staunch animal rights activist, and the activist group PETA are planning a noon rally outside The Mirage on Saturday to encourage Siegfried & Roy to release their 63 animals to a sanctuary. Tigers, she said in a letter posted on her website this morning, "are simply bred to bring in money-spending curiosity seekers, such as Vegas tourists."

Vacation: Celine Dion is off to San Diego today. Before leaving, she told VegasBeat she is taking her son, Rene Charles, 2, to the San Diego Zoo. Her Caesars Palace show, "A New Day ...," resumes Oct. 22. Gloria Estefan takes over Celine's stage Friday through Oct. 19 ...

Uphold: Sen. Harry Reid this afternoon swears in the new class of those who passed the Nevada State Bar at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall. Then he has a 5 p.m. "Lights on After School" event at Freedom Park. All Las Vegas kids are invited to attend ...

Substitute: The Amazing Johnathan will sit in on Friday for pregnant KLUC 98.5-FM "Morning Zoo" host Amy Sweet. He may do a longer fill-in stint when Sweet has her child ...

Memorex: The Riv's Neil Diamond impersonator, Jay White, appears in "Stages," the new Diamond retrospective DVD and CD package. There is a 15-minute segment of a conversation between the men filmed at the MGM Grand before a Diamond show there Dec. 28 ...

Mob rule: As of Nov. 13, the popular dinner theatre show "Ba Da Bing" is expanding to seven nights. It plays at Sazio restaurant inside The Orleans. Producer Ben Morgan has added several lesser-known but promising local entertainers to the expanded cast ...

Call me: VegasBeat is back for its weekly radio call-in bit with "Las Vegas Today" host Andy Vierra on KNUU 970-AM (K-NEWS) today at 4 p.m. Call the studio line at (702) 735-6397 and we'll dish. It is also available online at Knews970.com. Also, we're back with Melanie & Tom on LITE FM, KMZQ 100.5-FM on Friday at 7:30 a.m.

From Sun wires

Singer-actress Courtney Love was charged with a misdemeanor drug count Wednesday, less than a week after she allegedly tried to break into a Los Angeles home.

Love is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Los Angeles, said Frank Mateljan, spokesman for the city attorney's office. Love's drug tests were still pending, he said.

Love, 39, was arrested Oct. 2 outside a home where she had allegedly broken the windows in an attempt to enter, according to police.

Almost famous: Is 21-year-old Britney Spears trying to attract a more mature audience with her upcoming album, "In the Zone"?

No, the pop singer says. "The record label wanted me to do certain kinds of songs, and I was like, 'Look, if you want me to be some kind of sex thing, that's not me,' " she tells Esquire magazine in its November issue.

Spears appears on the cover in a short white sweater and high heels, re-creating a famous pose by actress Angie Dickinson.

But she doesn't see herself as superfamous. "I'm famous, but I'm not famous like freaking Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston."