Vegas fixture Sonny King dead at 83
LAS VEGAS, Nev., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Former Jimmy Durante sidekick Sonny "Lounge Giant" King has died in Las Vegas. He was 83.
King died at home Friday of cancer, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
King and Durante first hooked up for a brief stint in 1950 at New York's Copacabana. They reunited again four years later and remained a team until Durante's 1980 death, the newspaper said.
King recalled in an interview their relationship was almost "spiritual."
"We looked at each other and we couldn't stop laughing," King said. "The audience caught on, and they were laughing too."
King frequently held court in the lounge of the Las Vegas Sands while the Rat Pack played the main room, the Times said.
Frank Sinatra nicknamed him the "Lounge Giant" and was the godfather to King's daughter, Antoinette, who was born in 1958.
Early in their careers, King's roommate was another Rat Packer -- Dean Martin -- and he's credited with introducing Martin to his comedy partner, Jerry Lewis.
King appeared in the Rat Pack movies "Sergeants 3" in 1962 and 1964's "Robin and the Seven Hoods."
King is survived by his wife, Peggy, a daughter, three sons, his brother and a sister.
Witness says gunman aiming for Rhymes
NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The gunman who killed a bodyguard on the set of Busta Rhymes' New York video shoot was actually gunning for the rapper, it was reported Monday.
Rhyme's jewelry handler, Israel Ramirez, 29, was killed early Sunday morning outside the Kiss The Cactus Production studio in Brooklyn.
"The guy went to shoot Busta Rhymes and the bodyguard jumped in front ... and took the bullet," SOHH.com quoted a source as saying. "The dude was gonna shoot Busta Rhymes."
Witnesses said the shooting happened after an argument that started in the studio during the production of Rhymes' "Touch It" video.
Among those being sought for questioning are G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo, who the New York Post reported "stomped out of the studio after arguing with the video's producer" before the shooting.
Celebrities were in and out of the studio throughout the day Saturday, SOHH.com said. DMX, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Sean Paul and boxers Winky Wright and Felix Trinidad are all featured in the video remix.
Alleged Witherspoon harasser found dead
BRENTWOOD, Calif., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The photographer facing criminal charges for crashing Reese Witherspoon's daughter's birthday party has reportedly been found dead.
Tests were being done to confirm a body found in Brentwood, Calif., was that of Todd Wallace, E! Online reported Monday. The body was discovered in Wallace's apartment, friends said.
A warrant had been issued for Wallace's arrest after he missed a December bail hearing on charges stemming from his altercation with Witherspoon, her children, their guests and employees at Disney's California Adventure theme park in June.
Wallace had pleaded innocent to six misdemeanor counts and denied pushing and shoving the party in his zeal to take pictures. At least one young party guest was allegedly smacked with his camera and several of the children were reduced to tears.
Old hoofer is really young choreographer
NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The carefully guarded identity of "Mr. Six" -- the dancing senior citizen in the Six Flags amusement park TV commercials has been exposed.
The actor behind the makeup and the rubber legs is Danny Teeson, one of the stars of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl," the New York Post reported.
The British actor, in his late 20s or early 30s, was outed on the Internet blog pauldavidson.net and the information was confirmed by "knowledgeable industry sources" to the Post.
Teeson was an original member of the London cast of "Fame the Musical" and worked as a choreographer for pop stars such as Gloria Estefan and Usher, the Post said.
Six Flags has not confirmed the identity of "Mr. Six" and Teeson could not be reached for comment, the Post said.
