Danny Gans

Danny Davies Gans (October 25, 1956 – May 1, 2009) was an American singer, comedian and vocal impressionist. Career Gans was a performer on the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding area, where he was billed as "The Man of Many Voices." He had been named Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year and his production had also been awarded Show of the Year for 10 straight years from 1998 to 2008. Prior to entering show business, Gans was a professional baseball player. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox after being named an All-American at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he was a Physical Education major. It was at Cal Poly that he met his wife, Julie. Later, he held a small role as a third baseman in the film Bull Durham. After an injury ended his sporting career—a player's spikes tore his Achilles tendon while he was fielding a ground ball—Gans turned to the entertainment industry. Gans began his career on the road, performing mostly at private corporate functions. In 1992, he played Dean Martin in the CBS miniseries Sinatra. In 1995, he moved to Broadway to perform a one-man show, but later decided to move to Las Vegas to reduce time away from his family, who lived in Los Angeles. Gans started his Las Vegas stay at the Stratosphere Hotel in 1996. His show there was successful, and he moved over to the Rio in 1998. In 2000, Gans's show moved again, this time to the Mirage, where the Danny Gans Theatre was built for him. In February 2009, Gans changed venues again and performed at Encore, the sister property to Wynn Las Vegas. The marquee on Las Vegas Strip bearing his image, at one time, held the record as the largest freestanding marquee in the world. His first record album, produced by Michael Omartian, was cross-marketed in both the pop and Christian music genres and, although Gans never charted, it sold in both mainstream and Christian music outlets. At the time of his death he was grossing $18 million a year. He was also known for his vintage car collection.