Memorial service reveals real Danny Gans - News

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May. 22, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Memorial service reveals real Danny Gans

Family, fans and fellow performers gather to bid entertainer farewell

By MIKE WEATHERFORD
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Danny Gans

Video

Steve Wynn speaks Thursday at a memorial for entertainer Danny Gans at the Encore Theater. Gans died May 1 at the age of 52.
Photos by John Locher

Mourners gather in the hallway leading to the Encore Theater on Thursday for a memorial service for Danny Gans, whose photograph is seen at right.

Singer Donny Osmond speaks Thursday during a memorial at the Encore Theater for longtime Strip entertainer Danny Gans.

An impressionist, by nature of the craft, makes himself nearly a blank canvas to create other personas. But it was Danny Gans, the offstage man, who was revealed in a memorial service Thursday.

Friends, fans and fellow performers gathered in the Encore Theater, where Gans performed about 12 weeks as the resort's signature headliner before he died at home on May 1 at age 52. A cause of death has not been established, pending toxicology test results from the Clark County coroner's office.

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Donny Osmond, the one entertainer to address the crowd of 1,048, spoke amid reflections from three pastors -- two in person, one on video -- and poignant memories from Gans' three children: Andrew, Amy and Emily.

"It doesn't seem real, does it? It's a very surreal experience," Osmond noted.

Wynn Resorts director Elaine Wynn promised, "Today, sorrow and joy will share the same stage."

It was a promise fulfilled when Amy Gans, 21, choked up while trying to read a joke about her dad, ever the perfectionist, telling her "not to make this speech too long or else I'm going to lose my audience."

The children painted pictures of everyday life. Amy talked of her dad coming home with bags -- "and I mean bags" -- of stuff from Walgreens, full of everything except what he was sent there to buy.

Emily, 14, remembered "family nights where he would stop a movie every five minutes to do an Ed Sullivan joke." Or tucking her in every night and "putting magic in my pillow."

"Anyone can be a father, but it takes a special kind of person to be a daddy," Emily said.

Andrew, 19, said he would "deeply miss not being able to look up from the outfield and see my dad sitting in the stands watching me play ball. But it helps a little knowing he is standing right there beside me. He is my angel in the outfield."

"He never gave up on his dreams and neither will I," Andrew said, adding, "His biggest dream was to have a happy family waiting for him when he got home."

The children all wore red accents and Andrew duplicated his father's signature red socks and black and white spectator shoes. A photo montage consisted almost entirely of family snapshots of "The 5 G's," with the only photo of Gans onstage depicting him taking bows with his band, their arms joined.

Steve Wynn, chairman of Wynn Resorts, called the most attention to Gans as a performer. Wynn ran through the highlights of the act as he recalled attending the show with movie director Brett Ratner, who had agreed to helm a music video for an album of '70s pop covers Gans completed before his death.

"The notion that someone could do that completely, totally, perfectly, with absolute credibility is actually beyond belief. And yet he could move like Michael Jackson and did," Wynn said.

The service was punctuated by performances from The Victory Choir from Victory Missionary Baptist Church and occasional "Amens" from audience members. The memorial frequently touched on Gans' Christian faith, and never lost its sense of humor for long.

Osmond said he became friends with Gans through the impressionist and his manager, Chip Lightman, producing his Flamingo show with sister Marie under the name GansLight Entertainment. Osmond drew laughs by relaying Gans' last text message (from April 3), which proposed the two record a rock song together -- "the kind of song they play at sporting events to get the crowd really going" -- and bill it as "D&D." "That way we both get top billing."

But Osmond choked up reading the final words: "There's no rush. It's just a fun idea for the future."

Amy Gans made the only reference to the unresolved cause of her father's death. "In these past few weeks I have asked the Lord why so many times," she said. "I thought that if I knew the Lord's reasonings behind taking my dad away, it would make it easier and give me peace. What I recently realized was no amount of answers would give me peace. The only way I can be at peace is have faith in the Lord and know he is in control."

But that, too, was followed by lighter sentiment, as she pictured her father arriving at heaven, making "mental notes of things he would change," and being greeted by God: "Before I let you in, do Al Pacino. Do Woody Allen. Do Elvis."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. pamela ringler wrote on June 28, 2009 03:35 PM: Iwanted my son in law to get to see Danny performance, He bought my daughter chris and I tickets in alanta to see Ceilon , which was my first ever concert and a dream com true, he opened for her.. Danny was the best, made such an impression on us we were determine to see him again, so sorry for yoyr loss.God Bless Pamela and Chris glc wrote on June 09, 2009 02:46 PM: I had never been to Danny Gan Gans' show, but hoped to have seen it one day when in Las Vegas. But a funny thing happened. When I learned he had died, I felt an immediate and sudden great loss, a profound loss, as if someone close to me had died. How the heck did that happen? I have no idea. I felt like we had shared a long forgotten common bond. After learning of his death, I then got online and read about his life. Turns out he was a Christian. So am I. Was that the connection? Who knows? Today, I learned his death was basically a drug overdose from hydromorphone (a type of morphine) used in pain treatment. Sad, so sad. Why would a medical provider prescribe hydromorphone to a person with hypertensive cardiovascular disease? It doesn't make sense. There are other less dangerous and threatening drugs to treat pain than a drug more powerful than morphine!!! Has the family examined his medical care? Who was prescribing the hydromorphone? Why? Regardless, my heart goes out to his family. Ed Constantian wrote on June 08, 2009 05:33 PM: I am not one to write such emails, but am compelled to do so in this instance. Since May 1st, a day does not go by that I don't think about this great man and great entertainer. I had the good fortune to see his show OVER 10 TIMES - at the Stratosphere, the Rio, and the Mirage. Each time, I was moved as though it was the first time I had seen the show. As an impressionist myself, I considered Danny my impressionist hero - not only because of his on-stage talent, but because of his Christian faith, his love of family, and his love of humanity. When seeing him in the few interviews he has done, I would totally relate to his story as to how and why he would do impersonations - to relieve stress, make people laugh, move people emotionally, etc. I always thought that the day would come when I can meet Danny in person, shake his hand, and do an impression or two for him. Unfortunately, that day will never come for me - not in this life anyway. I am trying to understand how a 52 year old man, in seamingly good health, and on top of the world can just pass on. But I have faith that this is just part of The Good Lord's masterplan. If I, a stranger to him, am this affected by his passing, I can only imagine how his family must feel. I wish them all the peace and comfort this world can offer. God Bless...... Donna - Phoenix wrote on May 24, 2009 04:41 PM: No entertainer has touched me like Danny did. Not only with his talent but with his enthusiasm, love of life and especially his love of family. Thanks for the wonderful memory of seeing you in person Danny. I wish your family the very best!! Sincerely, Donna Claude wrote on May 24, 2009 08:57 AM: I am weeping today for a great loss to our community. I am encouraged by the way this has brought our city together. I don't appreciate the negativity and jealousy that I hear in some of the posts. I hope that our musical and artistic community will come together and start to heal and be one. I'm trying to form a cohesive community in my small way with myspace.com/LasVegasGuitarClub and www.EnsembleArtsAcademy.com. Maybe some of you could join me in our efforts. Claude bil wrote on May 22, 2009 02:30 PM: wheres the tox reports???????????? DAVE PHILLIPS in UT wrote on May 22, 2009 02:30 PM: These tributes were truly moving, as was every posting here, on the day that DANNY GANS' passing was made public - late on May 1st. BUT I AM STILL [what's the strong word I'm looking for here? -- stronger than UPSET!] with a certain self-proclaimed news-paper in Northern VA which prides itself as being somehow uniquely American: NOT ONE WORD in the Monday edition (May 4th) nor in today's edition (May 22d - just prior to our Memorial Day) about this tribute event. vegas dic wrote on May 22, 2009 11:54 AM: DAN--No, not ALL of his impressions were great--but most were. And considering the man does hundreds of impressions, then even if 25 are not that great, that means that 175 still are. You're just looking for a debate. If you go see a comedian, do you laugh histerically at every single joke the comedian says? No. You can laugh at most of them, not all, and consider it a good show. If you go to a concert, you wont like every single song. But you can still enjoy the concert overall. The man was talented and it was inspirational in that he seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. I've seen many many Vegas shows and they always seem to be 'going thru the motions.' Not Danny Gans Dan wrote on May 22, 2009 11:46 AM: vegas dic.....u say the show was very very good, very enjoyable....very glad to see him. Then say, not all of his impressions were great. Guess it really wasn't that very very good! vegas dic wrote on May 22, 2009 11:29 AM: I was lucky enough to see him perform a few years back at The Mirage. The show was very very good and very enjoyable. I was vetry glad I got to see him. Not all of his impressions were great but most were. The thing, however, that impressed me the most about Danny Gans is he seemed like a very genuine guy. He seemed like 'one of us' who just happened to be on stage. And he really seemed to enjoy what he was doing. So many Vegas entertainers are obviously just going thru the motions. Danny was enjoying it, having fun and performed for over 90 mins. Good times. Seems like a good man. Was taken from us way too soon... Read All Comments