Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | 2:26 a.m.
In 1970 college student Bruce Merrin appeared on "The Hollywood Squares." During the first in a string of victories, he hit the "secret square" by choosing Paul Lynde, the famously flamboyant occupant of the grid's middle square.
And before you can say, "I'll take Paul Lynde to block," Bruce Merrin had won the piano that would help make his son a rock star.
Allow us to connect the dots here.
Merrin, who for 33 years has owned a successful PR agency in Las Vegas, was a senior at UCLA when he appeared with host Peter Marshall and the "Squares" crew. Merrin says he does not remember the "secret square" question, but he did agree with Lynde and (amid flashing lights and blaring sirens) was awarded a Kimball piano.
After his triumphant run, Merrin made off with quite a haul - no home version of the game here. He won cash, a sail boat, a refrigerator, a trip to Las Vegas (where he stayed at the fabulous Sahara), a washer/dryer, a new TV and 80 pairs of panty hose.
"I wish I knew Frank Marino or Kenny Kerr back then," Merrin says.
But the Kimball was the gift that kept giving. Merrin kept the piano and used it for lessons for his son, Adam, who found middle C at age 5. Adam hasn't stopped playing, and today is the piano player for the band The 88, which in August will appear on "The Late Show" with David Letterman. No specific date has been set; the band has been given three dates late in the month from which to choose.
Based in Los Angeles, The 88 are a busy and bubbly pop quintet (turning into Dick Clark here) who are rising to fame with the help of several guest spots on national TV. They have appeared on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (hosted by Kimmel, himself a Vegas native) and "Last Call With Carson Daly." Last month the band signed with manager Irving Azoff, who has also repped the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. And their song "All Cause of You" will be featured in the summer film "You, Me and Dupree," starring Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson and Michael Douglas.
The band's name is, in part, a reference to the number of keys on a piano.
"The Kimball piano was great," Merrin says, "because of the impact it had on my son Adam's career."
As they say in the piano maintenance business, stay tuned.
NoteMart
Lewis recovering: The Associated Press reported Monday that Jerry Lewis is recuperating on his yacht in San Diego harbor after having a stent inserted in an artery following a mild heart attack. Lewis fell ill while on a flight from New York to San Diego on June 11, but today is working the phones, organizing the "Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon," which returns to Las Vegas in September. He is also reportedly taking medication to combat pneumonia.
Lewis is expected to fulfill his postponed shows, which were scheduled for July 13-16, at the Orleans Showroom. The showroom will go dark on those dates while it looks to 2007 to reschedule Lewis.
And another note from the Friar's Club roast of Lewis on June 9 - seated next to him on the dais at the New York Hilton's Mercury Ballroom were Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese ...
Mix up: Travel + Leisure magazine has bestowed upon Mix at The Hotel at Mandalay Place its 2006 Design Award for restaurants
'Love' that free pub: As expected, comic magician Nathan Burton has been served cease and desist papers from Cirque du Soleil, which has taken umbrage (umbrage! I tell you!) at invitations nearly identical to the "Love" logo that Burton has mailed to Las Vegas media. Knowing Burton's affinity for self-promotion (this is a man who, as a publicity stunt, locked himself in a clear plastic box without food and water and was visited by a rotating cast of showgirls), a skeptic might see this as a contrived way to garner free publicity. Whatever, it did get Burton's name and afternoon show at the V Theatre "out there"
Velvet Elvis: We can finally report that the longstanding statue of Elvis Presley at the Las Vegas Hilton will be unveiled at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Months ago the statue, which since 1978 stood in the Hilton lobby, was moved to allow for renovations to the property. The bronze Elvis will stand (and actually is standing right now, under a big blue velvetlike drape) at the front of the hotel, in a courtyard just south of the main lobby. Presley, we remind, was a regular headliner at the International (which is now the Hilton) from 1969 to 1976
Positively more mental: On Monday I reported that mentalist Gerry McCambridge had performed at the Suncoast. Wrong-o, Ringo! He actually performed at the Rampart Casino, at Addison's Lounge, for 47 weeks, and this week opens at the Stardust
Bond meets Balboa: Plates reported months apart with a common bond: A black Ford Taurus with DR NO; a dark gray VW Beetle with DR YO.
archive
