VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Father strings together legend of Agassi

Monday, Aug. 9, 2004 | 10:30 a.m.

Las Vegas knows native son Andre Agassi.

He is a tennis champ, a husband and father and an indefatigable giver to all kinds of charities who even started his own school for underprivileged kids.

But few people know how Agassi became who he is.

A new book by his dad, Mike Agassi, goes a long way to answering the question.

"The Agassi Story" (ECW Press, $24.95), co-authored byKate Shoup Welsh and Dominic Cobello, tells the story of Mike Agassi and is a first-person account of the Agassi family story.

The book offers "honest insights into his son Andre's life and what it took for Andre to become world champion," according to an announcement for the tome, which hits bookstores after Labor Day.

"It's also the story of the American dream: Mike's hardscrabble childhood in the streets of Tehran, his career as an Olympic boxer (he represented Iran as a boxer in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics)," and his immigration to America, where he landed a job as the tennis pro at the Tropicana.

"Finally, it's the story of father and son, their turbulent relationship and ultimate reconciliation, thanks in part to tennis legend Steffi Graf," Andre Agassi's wife, the announcement said.

"In his own inimitable, candid and sometimes brusque style, Mike Agassi reveals the price he and his family paid to live his all-American dream through his children."

Messages left for Mike Agassi were not returned. We also attempted to talk to Andre Agassi about the book, but he was in Mason, Ohio, over the weekend and not reachable -- on Sunday he was busy beating Lleyton Hewitt, 23, to win the Cincinnati Masters tournament.

On Saturday, Agassi, 34, beat 21-year-old Andy Roddick in the semifinals of the tourney, which is a tuneup for next month's U.S. Open.

Rumors

David Brenner is departing the Westin Causarina by the end of the month and heading to the Las Vegas Hilton, industry sources report ... We hear that party promoter and Palms tattoo parlor co-owner John Huntington is out at Hart and Huntington Tattoo Co. Co-owner and motocross star Corey Hart will likely run the place himself ... Now that word has gotten out that the Maloof brothers are starting a record label, having planned for a recording studio in the new Palms tower, we hear that the Hard Rock Hotel wants a studio, too. A recording studio for a planned Hard Rock Records label has been added to its expansion plans.

Talent

KVVU Channel 5 is shooting for some top young talent. Its posting for a reporter and a weekend anchor is the top listing on the Columbia Journalism School job Web site.

And, as we reported Sunday, KTNV Channel 13 weatherman Bob Jeswald has left the station for a slot in Phoenix. Today there are 18 job postings on the station's Web site.

The station is beefing up staff to launch a weekend newscast to precede "Good Morning America," which starts a weekend show in September.

In the cards

The September issue of Bon Appetit -- on newsstands now -- features a series of Celebrity Chef trading cards.

Every one of the chefs in the series is part of the Las Vegas culinary community.

"Las Vegas is the premier destination for the world's top chefs," the magazine said. "These men and women add spice and spirit to the Las Vegas Strip."

The dozen stars are Gustav Mauler (Spiedini), Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu), Alain Ducasse (the coming MIX). Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill), Thomas Keller (Bouchon), Herbert Keller (the coming Fleur de Lys), Bobby Flay (the coming Mesa Grill), Andre Rochat (Andre's), Piero Selvaggio (Valentino), Cindy Hutson (Ortanique) and Michael White (Fiamma).

Opener

Vegas entertainer Michael Cagle has been tapped by the John Kerry campaign to entertain at the rally for Kerry and John Edwards at the Thomas & Mack Center on Tuesday.

He'll likely croon the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" just before Edwards addresses the gathering.

"This is a chance of a lifetime," Cagle told us Sunday. "If it all works out, I could perform at other stops in different states -- and my fingers are crossed that maybe I could do their inauguration."

Maybe you can catch him doing a dry run of the song when he hosts a karaoke contest at the Stardust starting at 9:30 tonight.

Still waiting

Most of the cast of "Havana Nights" finally arrived in Las Vegas from Cuba over the weekend.

The performing troupe had been delayed because of visa problems, and the show's scheduled opening at the Stardust has been delayed again.

It had been slated to open July 31.

Show spokeswoman Hillary Reynolds said that the remainder of the 53-member cast is expected to arrive by Tuesday, and the show should finally be ready to hit the stage by this weekend.

VegasBits

Fan: Funnyman David Spade was at the Van Halen show Friday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The rockers return for an encore at The Orleans Arena on Oct. 1. Tickets go on sale Saturday ...

Fan, 2: Marlon Jackson of Jackson 5 fame was at Saturday afternoon's opening of Society of Seven starring Lani Misalucha at Bally's.

From Sun wires

Lohan big winner: Lindsay Lohan is 18 and a certifiable teen queen.

The actress, who turned 18 last month, collected a leading four awards Sunday night at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

Lohan won awards for movie actress in a comedy, movie hissy fit and movie blush for her hit film "Mean Girls." She also collected the award for movie breakout star actress for her work in both "Mean Girls" and "Freaky Friday."

The awards show will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Wednesday on Fox. It was hosted by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Musical guests included Blink-182, Ashlee Simpson, Lenny Kravitz and JoJo.