When some of our favorite singers get tired of the hustle and bustle of the road and tour grind, they may get lucky and retire the show to Vegas. That is, do shows only in Vegas and make a ton of money working a particular hotel and/or casino’s lounge room. Wayne Newton basically owns the city scene and is dubbed Mr. Las Vegas. As I was saying though, R&B acts have held it down too, most recently Toni Braxton. The funny thing is that the money they make rarely has any tie in to the actual casino games…I mean, you’re in Vegas, get on the tables.
There are some R&B singers that I think could really benefit not only from the show, but from playing poker. With the internet explosion of video poker they could work on the fundamentals of the game before hitting the tables. Aside from knowing the rules, and a healthy dose of luck, the largest component is the poker face, the ability to bluff and make folks think what you want so you can win the hand. Here are the top 3 R&B singers that I think could make a killing on the stage and in the Casino.
3. Wayne Brady – The show part almost writes itself. He could really take over the game like very few others with his ability to improv, do comedy, and flat out sing (have you heard his debut album). The other side of the game though is that Wayne is an actor as well. While part of the magic of his improv work is built on us laughing at them not being able to stop from laughing, his Chappelle Show work proves that he’s good at keeping a straight face even in the toughest conditions.
2. Jamie Foxx – Much like Wayne Brady…maybe even could be considered Wayne Brady 2.0. We saw Foxx put on a Sammie Davis type show on TV to promote his second album, Unpredictable, in 2006. Also if you’ve ever seen his stand-up movies you’ve seen him transition from joke to singing and keep it all entertaining. The Grammy for Ray as well as his work in soloist and his TV Show prove his acting chops, again, making him a great candidate for the show, and the tables. Not to mention that he played a bit of the poker role in the movie Shade.
1. R. Kelly – We’ve all been a witness to the…magic…that is the Trapped In The Closet Series. You can say what you want about it, but it was entertaining…so much so that he ended up parlaying that into 22 Chapters of greatness. Yes, there is a DVD and yes he’s planning on making this into an actual Broadway type of show anyway, so he’s ahead of the curve already. The beauty of him playing at the tables in Vegas as opposed to an online casino is that he’d be the best show in the casino either on the stage or on the tables. He has a project coming up so I don’t suspect he nor any of these other guys will be hitting Sin City for a performance deal…but don’t be shocked if you see them on the tables. Money, fun, and competition will lure most anyone, contract or no contract.
Who do you think could pull off the double threat of making money on stage and at the tables in Vegas?
Written by Contributing Writer JP
