This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Clint Holmes.
Clint Holmes, named Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year three times, Singer of the Year four times and awarded the Sammy Davis Jr. Foundation award, has begun an exclusive engagement at Cabaret Jazz inside The Smith Center. The newly opened Smith Center For the Performing Arts, is a world-class venue in the heart of Las Vegas.
Holmes comes by his talent naturally. His father was an African-American jazz musician and his mother a classically trained opera singer from Great Britain. Holmes admits it was the best of two musical worlds. “My mom taught me how to sing correctly, and my dad taught me how to enjoy it.” Casual elegance describes Clint’s presence on stage. His musical selections range from contemporary to classic, with jazz and opera thrown into the mix.
In the world of theater, Holmes, along with Nelson Cole, created the book, music, and lyrics for the musical, “Comfortable Shoes.” He starred in the world premiere of this musical at the legendary Papermill Playhouse. His latest musical, “Just Another Man” with Larry Moss and Bill Fayne, had its premiere at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre at the Judy Bailey Theater at UNLV.
In April of 2012, he premiered a major cabaret piece, “Remembering Bobby Short,” a loving homage to the man who defined New York cabaret. It was performed at the legendary Cafe Carlyle, where Bobby Short held court for more than thirty years. In July of 2012, he premiered another major work, “This Thing Called Love-The Music of Cole Porter and Paul Simon,” directed by Larry Moss, also at the Cafe Carlyle in New York, to rave reviews.
