Las Vegas Weekly

March 26, 2010 · 1:22 PM

Jay-Z, John Mayer, Garth Brooks and Lionel Richie invade The Strip

By Robin Leach

Jay-Z in concert at The Pearl in the Palms.

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

Lionel Richie and Garth Brooks stay out of the headlines and just make music. For hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, everybody wants to know if his beautiful wife Beyonce is pregnant. For embattled singer-songwriter John Mayer, he’s disappeared into a self-imposed celebrity exile after a controversial Playboy interview in which, among his indiscretions, he discussed ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson’s sex secrets while they were dating.

Four superstars of music. Four men each with a distinctly different sound. And in a nearly impossible set of circumstances, all four are here in Las Vegas this weekend in entertainment showdowns competing for fans and ticket sales.

Call this the real Clash of the Titans! Here’s the Royal Robin Rundown:

*Lionel, with his instantly recognizable voice and long string of hits, is at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace for two nights of his 40 years of chart-topping songs starting tonight. Will you be “Dancing on the Ceiling” after he says “Hello”?

*Garth brings his one-man acoustic guitar show back to Encore Theater in the Wynn for three nights of songs, stories and pure guitar work in his five-year residency. Will Garth’s “Friends in Low Places” thank him for his “Unanswered Prayers”?

*Multiplatinum hip-hop star Jay-Z, who has now surpassed Elvis Presley with the most No. 1 albums as a solo artist with 11, performs at The Pearl in the Palms with Young Jeezy and Trey Songz tomorrow. After the show, he hosts his after-party at Tao in The Venetian. If Beyonce is spotted this weekend in Las Vegas, all eyes will be on alert for a baby bump since gossips have started rumors on the East Coast that she’s pregnant. Will Jay-Z “Run This Town” with his “Empire State of Mind”?

*Grammy winner John should have been talking about his fourth studio album Battle Studies while on tour to promote it. Instead, he’s ducking one and all to avoid the controversy after his explosive Playboy interview. He shocked people with comments that used the N-word and discussed his solo sexual activities and time spent in that department with Jessica. John’s at Mandalay Bay Events Center tomorrow with Michael Franti & Spearhead. If John thinks “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” let’s hope he keeps it to himself to avoid “Heartbreak Warfare.”

As if this four pack of firepower isn’t enough for one weekend, Barbra Streisand and Sting are rumored to be showing up as surprises guests at the 50th anniversary tribute concert for Michel Legrand at MGM Grand Garden Arena tomorrow. We posted our story and an exclusive photo gallery of the rehearsals for the spectacular this morning.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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