Columnist Jerry Fink: Trop trip has been a steady ride for T. Fox

Friday, Aug. 27, 2004 | 8:37 a.m.

T. Fox has left the hallway. Almost.

Saturday the energetic entertainer celebrated his fifth year at the Tropicana's Tropics Lounge, located in the second floor hallway next to the Island Buffet.

"I've had a fabulous time," Fox said. "These five years have been unbelievable. They've been a blessing -- nobody can predict whether they will be on the Strip for five minutes, and I've had this good, long run."

Hundreds of fans crowded the wide spot in the passageway, showing their adoration for the multitalented singer and musician who plays keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, vibes, flute, sax and harmonica and sings standards, jazz, soul, R&B, funk and rock 'n' roll.

A couple of days after the show he jumped onto a plane for Los Angeles, where he had a gig performing for postal workers before returning to his regular dates at the Tropicana.

His mostly one-man show is from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. From time to time his wife, Imani, and his mother, Maria, join him.

Jackson has performed with such legends as Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughan. One of her trademarks is a tribute to Billie Holiday.

Fox, who says he has a fan database of more than 30,000, will be taking a break from the hallway at the end of the year when, in October, he begins a two- to three-month engagement at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

"I'm opening a brand new showroom lounge there," said the ever-enthusiastic Fox. "It's sort of like the Celebration Lounge at the Tropicana here, only on a higher scale."

He will return to Vegas in January to resume his hallway engagement, where he was given a 25-night contract in 1999 that seems to be destined to go on indefinitely -- which would suit his army of fans.

But he doesn't plan to be confined to the hall indefinitely.

"I hope to move up from the hallway to the concert hall," Fox said. "I'm working on putting together a 12-piece band for a show I'm shopping around."

He's eager for his own room "so I can take it to a whole other level."

"I want a room somewhere that when I sing 'I Can Fly' I will actually be able to fly out over the audience.

"I want to be right up there with the Siegfried & Roys and the Wayne Newtons."

One place he is shopping is the Tropicana, which will soon be undergoing major reconstructive surgery, possibly beginning next year. He's hoping management thinks enough of him to give him his own room.

Meanwhile, Fox is staying busy with a lot of projects, among them fund-raisers for various charities.

"I do a lot of gigs, but only ones that are important to me, like the Jerry Lewis telethon," he said. "Or something to help burn victims. It has to make sense to me."

And he's working on a CD, "The Classic Glow," which can be purchased through his Web site, www.tfoxmusic.com.

Eventually Fox is certain to leave the hallway, but he says he will never leave Las Vegas.

"I can't," he said. "I love this place. I was meant to be here. My birthday is on May 15, the same birth date as the city of Las Vegas."

Lounging around

Vocalist Loretta St. John will perform at a free jazz concert at 8 tonight in Henderson at Justice Court Park, 243 S. Water St. She will be backed by a three-piece band.

Blues Storm will be performing in a free concert from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday at the Suncoast Showroom.

Former Society of Seven member Jun Polistico performs at 9 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays at Fitzgerald's lounge. Polistico, a native of the Philippines, started performing at age 12.

Saxophonist Jim Spoto will be performing from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday at Charlie's Lakeside, 8603 W. Sahara Ave.

Vocalist/pianist Heather Kefalas is at the Mirage's Baccarat Bar from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 8:30 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Blues Zydeco with Pete Contino performs at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Orleans' Brendan's Irish Pub.