KERRY SIMON The outside world knew him as “the rock ’n’ roll chef” who made a fantastic burger on Iron Chef. Vegas knew him as a culinary innovator, a kind soul and our most fun friend.
KIRK KERKORIAN A rare and true architect of modern Las Vegas, he built the world’s largest hotel-casino three times over—the International in 1969, the MGM Grand in 1973 and today’s MGM Grand in 1993.
Kerry Simon.
INSERT COIN(S) A simple concept—nostalgic video arcade gets an update and a bar—evolved into a true cultural monument in its four-plus years on Fremont East. It would have been interesting to see that continued evolution as Downtown’s blossom widens.
BETTY WILLIS Welcoming travelers to “fabulous” Las Vegas, sign designer Betty Willis helped define the social landscape of the era, branding the Strip since 1959 with her Googie-style Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, the Strip’s most enduring headliner. Blue Angel and Moulin Rouge—pure brilliance.
THE HARMON Harmon Tower, we hardly even, er, never actually knew you, but we’ll miss your sparkly blue presence nonetheless—for being our weird Strip conversation piece and our reassurance, that no mistake any of us could ever make will cost $11 million to undo.
The Riv.
B.B. KING Riley B. King played the blues, and smiled widely as he did it, turning generations on to the soulful music in his heart. He spent the latter part of his life living in Las Vegas, but his May 14 death reverberated worldwide.
THE RIVIERA We loved you once, but we’re fickle and them’s the breaks. Only change lasts in this LED wilderness. We want the newest, the youngest, the prettiest, the fastest, the sleekest, and once you’re really gone, a big chunk of history that defined an irretrievable era will be erased, and we’ll be so sorry.
RALPH LAMB “Traditional policing” was the hallmark of the Cowboy Sheriff, who on one occasion arrested 74 Hells Angels and cut their hair. Former Mayor Oscar Goodman said, “Ralph Lamb was not just a piece of Las Vegas, he was a piece of Americana,” immortalized in Vegas, a TV show based on Lamb’s indelible run as the law.
JERRY TARKANIAN Grown men who’d never met Coach Tark cried on February 11, when we lost the man who made the Rebels run. He was more than his 509 wins, four Final Fours and 1990 championship. He was UNLV basketball, and this town loved him like no other.
