Danny G went from fronting a band to getting other people up on stage.
The singer-turned-karaoke-impresario, who goes by the name Danny Gobel offstage, arrived in Las Vegas nearly 30 years ago, just as live music opportunities were drying up amid casino cost cutting.
Gobel found his performing, production and people skills well suited for a second career as a karaoke host.
“I soon learned that the karaoke audience – it’s a different phenomenon,” he said.
Originally, he played 30 minutes of his music and 30 minutes of karaoke but realized quickly that karaoke was the way to go.
He said people have a need to use music to communicate.
“They want it - inside, because it is a natural, traditional, kind of a sociological need to sing and express," he said, "Culturally, that is kind of where we have always been as humans."
And the audiences are always polite and cheer for the singers, even if they may not have the best voice, Gobel explained.
He has been helping others achieve their 15 minutes of fame for years, including performing for the last 18 years at Dino’s Lounge on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Gobel said it can be a challenge to help out a singer who has had a little bit too much to drink but they're there to fulfill some need and he's there to help them.
“The job is a great deal more than handing someone a microphone," he said, "That is probably least most important part. The most important part is to be able to have something that someone can be a part of that’s a show”
He mixes the sound to help improve the singer's voice but he also works to react to the audience and to the singers in an effort to truly entertain.
“I try to relate to where they’re at,” he said, “I see who they are and I try to be able to make the most of the situation just like any kind of comedian might be able to do.”
His run concludes this weekend, but Gobel vows to return in the near future with a bigger show at a larger venue and with more production value. Details, he said, remain confidential.
“It is truly going to be a wonderful new experience bringing karaoke to a little bit higher level,” was all he would reveal about his new show.
Danny G, karaoke legend