Strip Scribbles: B.B. King’s Blues Club opens tonight @The Mirage

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The legendary B.B. King will officially open his fifth B.B. King’s Blues Club, this one at The Mirage, on Dec. 11, 2009.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 | 3:08 p.m.

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B.B. King's Blues Club at The Mirage.

He’s King by name and King by legendary renown! At age 84, celebrated blues guitarist B.B. King is still going strong. Tonight, he officially opens his fifth B.B. King’s Blues Club at The Mirage, his first in Las Vegas.

It’s been an extraordinary journey for the son of sharecropper parents growing up in a 2,000-population Mississippi backwater town just before The Great Depression. Amazing because B.B. went on to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, be inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame and earn a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He truly is a legend who put the Southern sounds of soul and jazz into the blues and on the map.

Before tonight’s opening, B.B. told Vegas DeLuxe: “Las Vegas has been home to me for a long time, so having a place that’s ‘my house’ on The Strip seems like a perfect fit. Vegas has always been known for amazing live performances and a place musicians love to gather. I know my club will follow in that tradition with music of all genres. Almost every entertainer wants to play The Strip, and for my club to give many artists that opportunity and maybe even a first chance to do that is something I am very proud to play a part.”

The maestro picked longtime friend Oscar Pena as chef of the Southern-influenced Creole kitchen that serves breakfast through midnight dinners, with live music nightly from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. We’ll be on premiere red carpet duty tonight and will have our report and photo gallery this weekend.

*The buzz all over town is that President Obama will break his Christmas flight to Hawaii with a stop here in Las Vegas on Dec. 23 or 24 to tour the new MGM CityCenter.

Gerard Schachmes

Celine Dion's 2009 Taking Chances World Tour.

*Celine Dion’s husband manager Rene Angelil is in town this weekend. With a “deal in place” for her return to Caesars Palace’s Colosseum, he’ll be discussing a new timeline. The plan was for Celine to return New Year’s Eve 2010, but that’s now delayed as she continues in-vitro procedures with a New York fertility clinic to become pregnant with a second child.

*Rumors are that magician Steve Wyrick closed his theater at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile without mall operators knowing. Many of his large props remain, but he loaded everything else. His dancers were crying when they showed up for last night’s performances expecting to get three weeks of back pay and found the doors locked. It’s also the unexpected ending of The Coasters and The Platters shows there.

*George Clooney is winning raves for his new film Up in the Air, but some of our Strip hotel executives won’t be too happy when his character badmouths one of our prestigious properties. The writer must’ve finished his script before the hotel was made glam and gorgeous again in a makeover.

Fight Club 3 @The Joint

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*Las Vegas nightlife and casino personalities laced up their gloves for a good cause at the charity tournament Fight Club 3 in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard made a guest appearance and helped announce the 11 bouts. He applauded the Hard Rock for hosting such a great event and pledged to return for Fight Club 4.

Star surveillance

Actor Ian Ziering treated friends to Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere at Treasure Island. Ian enjoyed water and popcorn. … Harrah’s comedy magician headliner Mac King will be at Barnes & Noble in Henderson tonight with a free magic show and storybook reading as part of the “Spread the Word” campaign. … Las Vegas rockers Theory of Flight open for Grammy-winning Train at Pure in Caesars Palace tomorrow. The six members of Theory then head to New York to record with Grammy-winning producer/engineers Bob Cutarella and Fran Carthcart. It’s another session for their debut album Within Reach to be released next spring. … Poker prince Antonio Esfandiari celebrated his birthday at Tao’s Worship party in The Venetian.

*Don’t forget the lighting of America’s Tallest Christmas Tree at our M Resort tomorrow. Local choirs will perform carols at the 5 to 8 p.m. event. Admission is free, but bring canned food and unwrapped toys for Three Square food Bank, Catholic Charities and Toys for Tots. The lighting is set for 6:30 p.m. by M head honcho Anthony Marnell III. The dynamic all-female Phat Strad will entertain alongside Dance Zone and Las Vegas Academy students.

Now it’s our turn to switch on full power and flick on the lights to shine on a Santa sack of goodies in our choice entertainment picks for the weekend in what we affectionately refer to around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday, Dec. 11

*It’s the long-anticipated first Garth Brooks concert of 15 weekends a year for five years at Encore Theater in the Wynn.

Garth Brooks @The Wynn

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*Night one of Holiday Havoc kicks off with the unveiling of “The Naughty List.” First up is Alice in Chains at The Joint with Chester Bennington’s Dead by Sunrise and Smile Empty Soul.

*Comedy ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has two nights of shows at Caesars Palace with his puppets on sticks, including Achmed the Terrorist and hot pepper Jose Jalapeno.

*The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo ends this weekend, and there’s a blockbuster turnout of comedians and singers to entertain: Dierks Bentley finishes his two-night run at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay; Rodney Atkins is at Golden Nugget for two nights; Ron White is at the Terry Fator Theatre in The Mirage for two nights; Rodney Carrington wraps up his NFR stint with two nights at the MGM Grand; Miranda Lambert takes over the Silverton Casino Lodge for her two-night run; and Sara Evans celebrates the holiday season at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm.

*Lon Bronson’s band simply rocks and makes beautiful music. Lon’s All Stars step out as backup to Strip entertainers with their own show for two nights at Eastside Cannery.

*The World Stars of Magic perform for three nights at Suncoast when Paul Stone brings in Kevin James & Company, Las Vegas residents Victor and Diamond, Richard McDougall and world champion Julianna Chen.

Party patrol

Whitney Duncan brings her country guitar to sing and host at LAX in the Luxor. … Rapper and record producer Jermaine Dupri will handle DJ duties behind the wheels of steel at Prive in Planet Hollywood.

Saturday, Dec. 12

*Andrea Bocelli’s new album of holiday favorites My Christmas will be part of his set list at MGM Grand.

*For royal rap that’s too hot to melt, Ice Cube is at House of Blues.

*Larry the Cable Guy doesn’t hold back with his humor at Mandalay Bay on the closing night of NFR.

*On the second night of Holiday Havoc, Muse plays in support of their album The Resistance, with Cage the Elephant, Paper Tongues and Afghan Raiders.

*Tres Locos Comedy Tour stops for a night at The Rio.

Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Nine-time world champion Trevor Brazile on the seventh day of the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 9, 2009.

Party patrol

*It’s the official launch party for Timbaland’s new CD Shock Value at Prive. … Singer Sarah Buxton hosts and performs at LAX. … Trevor Brazile should be celebrating his 10th world champion victory at NFR when he throws his after-party at Studio 54 in MGM Grand.

*Tickets go on sale for comic Russell Peters’ show March 27 at The Joint.

Sunday, Dec. 13

*Longtime holiday staples Mannheim Steamroller have their annual concert at The Orleans Arena.

*Heavy metal fans will be in heaven when Megadeth, Machine Head, Suicide Silence and Arcanium are at House of Blues.

*Humanitarian Marie Little, the lovely wife of legendary entertainer Rich Little, will be honored at the Flamingo by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars with its 41st installation. They are the first husband and wife team to receive stars.

Monday’s teases

We’ll have our front-row report from Garth Brooks’ debut weekend, plus the final photo gallery of NFR. We’ll also have the Hard Rock Hotel’s new luxury HRH Tower and Vanity nightclub. Then midweek, the fabulous Aria opens at CityCenter, along with previews of Cirque du Soleil’s new production Viva Elvis.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.