John Katsilometes catches up with an old/new locals favorite R&B vocalist

kats@lasvegassun.com

Thursday, March 2, 2006 | 7:20 a.m.

About six years ago I was walking through the Rio and heard a commotion - an audience clapping in time with thumping R&B music - emanating from the now-defunct RioBamba Cabaret.

The club was filled, and clusters of fans had spilled into the casino area. They sat at unattended video poker machines, many unable to see the singer but swaying to his music.

The catalyst for all of this was Earl Turner. At the time, I felt Turner's was the best free show in the city, a title that did not last long because he eventually became a ticketed act at what is now the Scintas Theatre. But in a pattern that would be repeated, Turner's career was hit by tragedy - in this case the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and subsequent tourism slump in Las Vegas.

So Turner left town, first going to Laughlin and then to New Orleans, where he fulfilled a dream by headlining in his own theater - the Earl Turner Theatre - at Harrah's. Again, disaster derailed his career path as the city suffered from Hurricane Katrina, which hit on Turner's 51st birthday, Aug. 29. The tireless vocalist has since returned to Las Vegas to rebuild his career for brimming-with-locals audiences.

Tonight he opens as the headliner at Sound Trax, a cozy 250-seat venue at Palace Station. Tickets are $35; $25 for Nevada residents (limit of four per purchase).

"Vegas is a mixed blessing," Turner said Wednesday in a phone interview. "We have a base here, family here, friends here. We are very fortunate to be here. But did we want to leave New Orleans? Absolutely not. We had a home there - we still have a home there that we are renting - and my wife and I were part of the community, on many boards, and had built good audiences."

No matter. Turner remains resilient and knows the city, having spent 15 years in Las Vegas before moving on. His contract with Station Casinos is for nine months, and he seems to have ample time to re-establish himself on the local entertainment scene. But Turner is still moved by the hurricane's destruction. Watching the coverage of Mardi Gras was particularly aching because he took part in a parade last year with Harry Connick.

"I'm still passionate about this because I was there," Turner said. "It's very personal to me. But I also know that when people come to see the show, they want to be entertained. Am I going to do a tribute to New Orleans? Not at this time, I don't think so."

It'll just be Turner, "hoping people will come in and get some Earl."

NoteMart

"Hair" trimmed: Effective March 12 the musical "Hairspray" is cutting back its schedule at the Luxor, from 10 shows per week to eight. Gone are the second shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays, days that now feature a single show at 7:30 p.m. Also, the Sunday schedule has been tweaked to include a 4 p.m. matinee (in place of the 10 p.m. performance); the new show times on Sunday are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ...

Garage band: Outlaw Motorsports Inc. is opening a shop in Las Vegas. The business at 5585 W. Spring Mountain Road is operated by Alex Anderson, Bobby McCurdy and Billy Richardson. Anderson and McCurdy, considered artists with the blowtorch, have appeared on the car restoration series "Monster Garage" on the Discovery Channel and "Pimp My Ride" on MTV. Richardson is a Las Vegas nightlife and restaurant entrepreneur.

Vehicles customized by the chop-and-channel experts include those owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kid Rock, Kobe Bryant, Sandra Bullock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Tyson Beckford and Wilmer Valderamma. The company's opening party was at Pure on Tuesday night ...

Bobble-iscious: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is scheduled to unveil his newest bobblehead at 5 p.m. today during the Tennis Channel Open. What's remarkable about this event is not that our mayor is being depicted in bobblehead form, but that this is his seventh bobblehead figure. That's seven more than the other mayor of Las Vegas, Henry O. Sanchez of Las Vegas, N.M. ...

Flipper update: The Pinball Hall of Fame, owned by Las Vegan Tim Arnold and featuring the world's largest collection of operable pinball and amusement games (dating to the early 1900s) has opened at 3330 E. Tropicana Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For information, go to www.pinballhalloffame@msn.com. Admission is free at the "players museum," but you do have to pay to play ...

Supreme confusion: As I was getting ready for work Wednesday, which was also birthday No. 40, a woman claiming to be Diana Ross sang "Happy Birthday to You." She said "the family" paid for it; I'm certain she was a tribute artist. Had to be, right? ...

Not now - driving: An amorous plate on a Volkswagen Jetta: KISSU.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. John Katsilometes can be reached at 259-2327 or 812-9812, or at kats@lasvegassun.com