Las Vegas Weekly

January 9, 2009 · 6:15 AM

Morning Call Photo Gallery: At CES, Tom Hanks makes ’em laugh; Stevie Wonder and Usher have ’em swooning

By Robin Leach

Sir Howard Stringer of Sony and Mr. Tom Hanks of Tinseltown.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Actor Tom Hanks had the Consumer Electronics Show Las Vegas convention crowd in stitches as he took friendly and fun pot shots at the Sony chieftains who’d hired him to entertain.

No sooner had my old buddy Sony head honcho Sir Howard Stringer delivered his opening keynote speech to the electronics executives than Tom waltzed on stage as a surprise. The bigger surprise, though, was when he turned the tables on his hosts and delighted them, as well as the audience, with his comedic onslaught.

“The crowd was in stitches as he poked fun at Sony and the boss’s opening remarks,” our contributing photographer Erik Kabik told me. Erik captured these exclusive photos for Vegas DeLuxe.

It was an all-star celebrity lineup at CES with superstar singers Stevie Wonder and Usher joining the fray. The Sendero Group joined forces with the National Federation of the Blind to present “Stevie Wonder and Friends TechZone.” The singer, songwriter and instrumentalist was a huge hit at the convention and graciously accommodated the straight suits, who literally fell over themselves to get a photo with him.

Smooth-as-silk R&B singer Usher performed for the Sony session and was wrapped in a heavy conversation with the Sony super boss. This is Usher’s second Vegas appearance already in the New Year, having counted down to 2009 with the revelers at the Bank in the Bellagio.

Also there at the convention center was Oprah Winfrey’s newest discovery, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who will be launching his own medical talk show; baseball great Reggie Jackson (if you look closely enough, you can see Sir Howard Stringer holding a Reggie candy bar!); and Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, who presented new, cutting-edge 3-D technology to the audience.

Vegas DeLuxe has provided you with a link HERE to today’s CES official lineup of stars attending the giant electronics show at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in The Venetian.

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