Rick Michel's Blog

I recently received a very nice letter from Sue Rebar, the CEO and founder of the Welcome Home Troops organization, thanking me for my participation at the Celebrity Golf Tournament Gala at the Canyon Gate Country Club where I entertained them with my Las Vegas show, Sinatra Forever and it started me thinking about the importance of recognizing and supporting the efforts of our troops and those that serve and protect, not only on designated holidays, but every day of the year. Read More

It’s marvelous to see a crooner in both the news and the charts. The timeless Tony Bennett made history when his recently released album, “Cheek to Cheek,” hit number one making him, at 88, the oldest living artist with a number one record on the US Billboard weekly top 200 chart. This album was recorded with Lady Gaga, another New York City artist who was able to prove herself able to hold her own with a top vocalist. Read More

Tribute albums are a unique musical entity that, like any other genre, can range in scope from nothing better than a karaoke version of a particular artist’s songs to stirring, inventive renditions of one artist’s vision of anothers work that is really only limited by the imagination of the person delivering the tribute. Read More

Is there ever a real vacation when you’re in the entertainment biz? Maui, here we come, but I know it won’t be all play and no work for this entertainer. I’m going to be shmoozing and selling my latest Las Vegas show, Frank … A Musical Journey because I can’t spend all my time enjoying the beautiful Kaanapali Beach. Read More

Entering their nineteenth season, ABC’s” Dancing with the Stars” remains a guilty little bit of reality television for many. As Alfonso Ribeiro, Lea Thompson, Tommy Chong and the rest of the participants expose themselves to potential accolades and ridicule I can’t help but wonder how Frank Sinatra would have faired dancing on such a program. Read More

I was watching The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this week and they had Barbra Streisand on promoting her new album, Partners. It is an album of duets with people like Michael Buble, Blake Shelton, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Presley. Streisand sang on the show and since they needed partners for her to sing with, Fallon did the parts of Presley, Shelton and Buble during the medley. Read More

Is there any greater song than “Ol’ Man River”? I know there are many, many spectacular compositions, but when you combine lyrics, meaning, emotion, symbolism and melody are there any that are able to measure up to this song that has taken on a life of its own? Read More

The world has lost a second comedy legend in less than a month with the passing of Joan Rivers. She was a talented comedian who worked very hard to become as successful as she did, bravely ruffling a few feathers and making a few enemies along the way, but nobody can deny her talent or her work ethic. Read More

Artists are rarely only interested in one form of the arts, often dabbling in another artistic genre out of a genuine love for that particular art form. David Bowie, Johnny Depp, Jim Carrey, and Joni Mitchell are accomplished painters. Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, and even Justin Bieber are also actors. I am too. I also sculpt. Many disciplines are intertwined, hence the term triple threat – someone proficient at singing, dancing, and acting. Can anyone say Fred Astaire? Read More

The world lost another legend as, with no members left needing her nurturing, Rat Pack den mother Lauren Bacall passed after suffering a stroke. As with so many Rat Pack members, the word “legend” doesn’t seem large enough to describe someone so monumental to the entertainment industry. Read More