Chicago Celebrity Starrlights

MARY FAKHOURY at the HARD ROCK HOTEL

Beautiful singer Mary Fakhoury greeted me and her adoring friends with the poise and grace of a star as we entered the suite at the restored green and gold Art Deco masterpiece once known as the Carbon and Carbide Building, now the Hard Rock Hotel, to celebrate the release of her new CD, Universal Worlds, on which she sings my favorite song, Someone To Watch Over Me.

The music collection was packaged as a gift for each glamorous guest along with special pink M&M’s, and included an issue of the glossy Luxury Magazine where Fakhoury graces the cover. We also sinfully consumed a mound of luscious pink cupcakes. I had three.

Chicago born Fakhoury began modeling at 18, and became a broadcaster with Fox and ABC, but longed to be a singer, like her Jordanian born, internationally known father. With her powerful voice Fakhoury adds special emotion to American jazz, blues, and ballads while performing throughout the United States and Australia.

She has established her own music company, Music Girl Publications, dedicated to help and protect unsigned artists entering the music industry. Fakhoury will be leaving on a European tour in August of 2007, and will extend her performances to Israel. Learn more at www.maryfakhoury.com Photo of Mary Fakhoury, May 11, 2007, by Steve Starr

TAMRON HALL AT ENCLAVE

Image Chicago Magazine held its one-year anniversary party at Enclave, 213 West Institute Place, November 17, 2006, where singer Kelis entertained a thousand guests who included Michael Jordan, and the Chicago Bears star running back Thomas Jones.

Also attending was the gorgeous Tamron Hall, anchorwoman for Fox News in the morning. Tamron posed for my camera with IMAGE Chicago Magazine’s publisher and event producer Paul Sorkin. Photo by Steve Star.

NADINE VELAZQUEZ at the LATINO FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

Beautiful Nadine Velazquez visited her hometown Chicago to attend the Award Ceremony and closing festivities of the prestigious 23rd Annual Chicago International Latino Film Festival held at the Chicago History Museum, April 25, 2007.

Velazquez, 29, began a career in modeling and soon landed her first television commercial for McDonald’s where she proudly voiced "Welcome to McDonald’s. May I take your order?"

Also on television, Velazquez played Anna in The Bold and the Beautiful, Janeen in Entourage, and currently plays Catalina in the successful, hilariously written and well acted My Name Is Earl.

Velazquez also landed roles in the films Chasing Papi, Biker Boyz, and House of the Dead 2:Dead Aim. The October 10, 2005 issue of USA Today named her as one of "Five Rising Stars To Watch Closely." Pretty, demure, sensitive looking Velazquez is quoted as saying, "I’d love to kick someone’s ass in a movie, instead of somebody threatening to kick mine."

Standing near the podium in the elegant Arthur Rubloff Auditorium, ready to address the packed audience which included filmmakers from around the world, Nadine Velazquez graciously posed with me in the Reception Hall.

Photo of Nadine Velazquez and Steve Starr, April 25, 2007, by fashion designer Anna Fong

CHILI PEPPER at the CHESTNUT

Chili Pepper, one of Chicago’s most popular and famed female impersonators visited the lounge of the Chestnut Grill in 2006 and socialized with numerous old friends while still energized from her performance earlier at the renowned, glamorous Baton Show Lounge, 436 North Clark Street, where she has thrilled audiences and knocked them out, bejeweled and looking perpetually fantastic with her sexy snarls that have made her a Chicago cult figure for the last quarter century.

Photo: Chili Pepper and Steve Starr.

DREW SIDORA at the RUMBA

Gorgeous actress Drew Sidora arrived with friends in an enormous white limousine at the beautiful Rumba Supper Club, 351 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, to celebrate her 22nd birthday.

Instantly surrounded by a hundred stylish fans, Sidora signed autographs, danced and partied through the night in the glow of the tropical showplace. The talented Sidora is a singer, songwriter and dancer trained in ballet, jazz, and modern, and has studied acting with the esteemed Organic Theatre Company.

Dazzling in a shimmering short gold dress, Sidora, a star on the rise whose Hollywood movies include Never Die Alone, White Chicks and Step Up, happily modeled for photographers, and took particular time to pose for my camera.

Photo by Steve Starr.

VALENTINES DAY at RUMBA

Share the most romantic evening of the year Wednesday, February 14^th, at the gorgeous Rumba Restaurant and Nightclub as you snuggle with your paramour in a lush round burgundy velvet booth or an elegant table festooned with glittering beaded runners, candles and sparkling glass.

You will all marvel at the sensational Tango performance by the stunning Daniel Noce and Romano Nita, backed by the truly spectacular live music of Son de la Habana, whose ecstatic sounds of the Rumba, Salsa, and Cha-Cha-Cha will entice you to the dance floor, or fall in love again amid the beautiful décor of 1948 Havana.

Dine on a fantastic four-course special Valentine dinner designed by Chef Benjamin Soto, and a complimentary glass of fine champagne. The entire Valentine Evening package, with all tax and gratuity included, and a fresh red rose, is $75 per person.

The Valentine’s Day menu will also be offered, along with Rumba’s fantastic standard menu, Saturday, February 10, with entertainment by the fantastic live music of Rumba Caliente. Place your reservation at 312-222-1442. www.Rumba351.com

TELEMUNDO at RUMBA

Telemundo has some of the most beautiful and highly talented reporters in Chicago covering the latest events to interest the diverse Latino community.

On one particular evening they arrived at the gorgeous Rumba Supper Club to tape the dancing of the exciting floor show, Noches De Tropicana.

Recognized for quality newscasting, Telemundo has 24 power stations in the United States and Puerto Rico, with 36 broadcast affiliates and 684 cable and wireless systems taking its signal.

Pictured are cameraman Michael Wright and reporter Maria Elena Ponticello. Photo by Steve Starr

RUNNING FOR MAYOR-DOROTHY BROWN at RUMBA

Dorothy Brown, the charismatic politician in her second term as the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, has made history as the first African American woman to hold that office.  Running for Mayor of this city, campaigning with the acronym slogan, L.I.F.T.-Leadership-Integrity-Fairness-Trust, Ms. Brown hoped to unseat the long standing Mayor Richard M. Daley, who later won an unprecedented sixth term.  She lives by the creed, “Good government is good ethics, and good ethics is good government.”

Amid a slew of local politicians and campaign workers, Brown arrived in the elegant private dining room of the beautiful Rumba Restaurant and Nightclub February 21, 2007, six days before the election, and spoke of her ideas to insure equality in every facet of life for every person in her city, and of her dedication to them. Pictured left to right: Chief of Investigators, Ricardo Lugo, Dorothy Brown, and 33rd Ward Alderman Raul Molina. Photo by Steve Starr.

PETRA van NUIS and JUDY ROBERTS at KATERINA'S

Judy Roberts, a fantastic pianist, heavenly singer, and  multiple Grammy Award nominee who performs throughout the world at music festivals and concerts, grew up in Chicago, which she still calls home, and where she often performs Monday evenings at the warm, popular Katerina’s Nightclub and Restaurant, 1920 West Irving Park Road.

Roberts often shares the Katerina stage alongside Petra van Nuis, a chanteuse with a special, romantic style who prefers the music of the Great American Songbook, and evokes the aura of visiting us from an intimate, smoky, circa 1941 Downtown Chicago nightclub.  The talented pair posed for me in 2007. Photo of van Nuis (left) and Roberts (right) by Steve Starr.

JUDY ROBERTS at the HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL

A fantastic entertainer and a multiple Grammy Award nominee who has thrilled her audiences at music festivals and concerts throughout the world that include the North Sea Fest in Holland, the Singapore Jazz Fest, and the Chicago Jazz Festival, Judy Roberts also continues to perform in her home city, where the Chicago Tribune awarded her the title of  “Chicago’s Favorite Jazz Woman.” 

Often performing at the wonderful Katerina’s, The Coq D’or in the Drake Hotel, and the Club “3160”, Roberts has recorded more than twenty albums which include The Other World, Nights in Brazil, and In The Moment, that present her immense talent as an elegant, articulate pianist and a stunning vocalist with a warm, intimate style. Roberts is on the faculty of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and is a columnist for Chicago Jazz Magazine.  During the summer of 2006 she posed for my camera at her piano in Chicago’s magnificent Hotel Intercontinental, where her talent had been showcased for many years. For further information, visit www.JudyRoberts.com. Photo by Steve Starr.

RAMSEY LEWIS at the FORNETTO MEI

The Ramsey Lewis Trio recorded their first album, Ramsey Lewis and the Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. They became a national phenomenon in 1965 when America embraced their magnificent Jazz rendition of The In Crowd, following that success with enormously popular versions of Hang On Sloopy and Wade In The Water.

Ramsey Lewis, a magnificent composer and pianist, is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including seven Gold Records and three Grammy Awards. He has never stopped recording, and continues to perform for thrilled audiences throughout the world.

The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show, based in Lewis home town, Chicago, airs weekdays on WNUA (95.5FM) and is part of the Broadcast Architecture Smooth Jazz Network, being simulcast on other Smooth Jazz stations around the country. His syndicated radio show, Legends of Jazz, featuring recordings from the earth’s finest musicians, can be listened to in 60 cities in the United States and throughout several other countries as well.

On my birthday, December 22, 2006, I was dining with friends at the beautiful Fornetto Mei restaurant in the  Whitehall Hotel, where my celebration in the historic Whitehall Place Lounge was soon to begin.  Mr. Lewis was dining in the same room, and graciously took time to pose for my camera. Photo by Steve Starr

ANN REINKING at the PARK WEST

Ann Reinking, Broadway’s famous dancer and choreographer whom Time Magazine described as “Terpsiglorious,” was attending the elaborate, spectacular musical and dancing revue, Chicago Takes Off, at the Park West Theatre, February 10, 2007.

Reinking made her Broadway debut in 1969 in Cabaret, and among her stage credits are Coco, Pippin, Over Here, Goodtime Charley, A Chorus Line, Dancin’, and Titanic.  Reinking is honored for her work in the Bob Fosse musicals, and she became his paramour, as well as appearing as his lover in Fosse’s semi-autobiographical 1979 film All That Jazz.

Other films in which she appeared include Annie (1982) and Micki & Maud (1984).  A winner of numerous awards, Reinking is particularly honored for the 1996 revival of Chicago, in which she starred and choreographed, earning her a Tony for Best Choreography, Drama Desk Award, Astaire Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award. Today, Reinking is the artistic director of the Broadway Theatre Project held on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, which is a training program for students to strengthen their musical theatre skills. After being introduced from her Park West table to the enormous crowd who gave her a standing ovation of thunderous applause with honest, heartwarming appreciation, Reinking, looking fantastic, relaxed with her friends and posed for my camera. Photo by Steve Starr.

VALENTINE CELEBRATION at the WHITEHALL

Esteemed guests who dined with their Valentine in 2006 at the Fornetto Mei located in the elegant, restored 1928 Whitehall Hotel, later entered the historic, private Whitehall Place Lounge where they relaxed in sumptuous sofas and chairs framed by the gorgeous, original wood walls and Art Deco bar with its glittering mirrored shadowbox.  Amid the ambience that has been enjoyed by Hollywood stars and celebrities from around the world, four magnificent singers accompanied by the superb pianist Russ Long serenaded and entertained their romantic audience with the finest songs by Cole Porter and George Gershwin.

Pictured here are from left to right, Chicago Cultural Center director of Public Affairs Brad Thacker, and performers Kat’ Taylor, Paul Marinaro, Elizabeth Doyle and Bradford Newquist. I must add that the guests were also thrilled when I personally photographed each couple, immediately printed their picture, signed, and framed it in a filigree, heart-shaped pewter frame wrapped in shiny silver paper  placed in a silver bag with a special silver star-shaped seal embossed with the name of Steve Starr Studios. I had to mention that. Photo by Steve Starr (2/8/07)

JAMIE FOXX at ENCLAVE

Jamie Foxx, the talented Academy Award winning star who dazzled everyone in 2005 with his uncanny portrayal of Ray Charles in the film Ray, took to the stage January 6, 2007, at the Enclave, Chicago, 220 West Chicago Avenue, as he promoted his new CD at an event hosted by IMAGE Chicago Magazine. Foxx, receiving ecstatic reviews for his role in DREAMGIRLS, entertained hundreds of fans who were kept in a perpetual frenzy with his live singing performance and spectacular presence. Completely surrounded by adoring men and women, Jamie Foxx graciously and politely took the time to pose with his hosts for my camera. Jamie Foxx with IMAGE Magazine publisher Paul Sorkin (right) and creative director Omar Hussain (left)  Photo by Steve Starr.  www.SteveStarrStudios.com (1/8/07). More on Jamie Foxx.

MAUREEN McGOVERN for AMERICAN GIRL

Singing star Maureen McGovern was in Chicago appearing in Little Women, at the magnificent Palace Theatre. After a performance, an event for American Girl, part of the Winter Delights Hotel Extravaganza sponsored by the Chicago Office of Tourism and produced by Bradford Thacker of the Cultural Center brought McGovern to the Comfort Inn and Suites where a dozen families with happy, well behaved daughters joined the vibrant singing star as she signed their programs before reaching into a vase to pick a raffle ticket for the luckiest youngster of all who won a McGovern signed, rare antique book of Little Women.  Every family was so happy and thrilled to pose with Maureen McGovern for my camera, while they enjoyed the fantastic sound of Bob Solone at the piano and a truly spectacular array of desserts. Photo by Steve Starr

KEVIN FEDERLINE AT CABARET

Photo: Kevin Federline and Nightlife Photographer Steve Starr. 9/23/06

Surrounded by 100 Britney Spears, several gorgeous brunettes, and dozens of handsome men, host Kevin Federline relaxed in the VIP section of the Cabaret Cocktail Boutique, 15 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, with IMAGE Magazine publisher and event producer Paul Sorkin, WWE wrestler Matt Hardy, and other luminous guests. The party, October 23, 2006, was the official celebration of the release and preview of Federline's new album, and the stunning crowd danced, gyrated, posed for my camera, and made out to the sounds of Cabaret’s resident DJ, Jernell Geronimo. Read more...

LATINO FILM FESTIVAL HONORS at the CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

Ariani A.G. Friedl, the Acting Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, welcomed guests to the final evening of the 23rd Chicago International Film Festival, the most prestigious and largest Latino Film Festival in the United States.

Moments before the Awards Ceremony began to honor the finest directors and producers of Latino Cinema, the charming Friedl posed for me in the lobby of the magnificently restored Chicago History Museum, April 25, 2007.

Photo by Steve Starr

JUDY BRUBAKER AT CORNELIA’S

Judy Brubaker was once a Hollywood starlet and singer in a long lost era. Her very first appearance in a studio film was unbilled, playing Barbra in 1949 in Twentieth Century Fox’s comedy, Mr. Belvedere Goes To College, starring Clifton Webb and Shirley Temple.  She also appeared as Valdra in the dreadfully wonderful Untamed Women, a 1952 movie that also starred dinosaurs and dozens of never to be known actresses in chic cavewomen attire who spoke lines that included “The ways of men are strange to us, O Sandra our priestess and protector.”  Brubaker also played Babs Kimball in the tough 1951 crime drama, Chicago Calling, starring Dan Duryea.  Ironically, Brubaker has called Chicago her home for fifty years.  Feeling that Debbie Reynolds was her nemesis who always got the roles Judy hoped for, she gave up her Hollywood career in 1957 when she met and fell in love with a visiting Chicago businessman.  Brubaker kept her singing career alive in Chicago nightclubs,  as well as appearing in a musical revue which I produced, directed and costumed, the Steve Starr Studios production of Vanity, way back in 1972.  In her eighth decade, Judy Brubaker, after enjoying the entertainment by chanteuse Ginger Tam at Cornelia’s during the summer of 2006, took the microphone and showed the room that she could still sing. Photo by Steve Starr

JESUS “CHUCHITO” VALDES at RUMBA

Chucho Valdes was one of the great masters of the piano, and his son Chuchito is considered by many to be one of the greatest pianists in the world. Born and raised in Havana, Chuchito under Chucho’s tutelage became a master of Cuban Jazz, and his work draws from numerous facets of music that include Cha-Cha-Cha,  Be-Bop, and Danzon.  He is a composer, arranger and bandleader, and has showcased his astounding talent for thrilled patrons at the most prestigious concerts, festivals and clubs on earth throughout the Caribbean, and across the United States and Europe. Valdes now makes his home in beautiful Cancun, Mexico. While visiting Chicago, after another masterful piano performance for Noches De Tropicana at the gorgeous Rumba Restaurant and Nightclub, November 15, 2006, Chuchito posed with fans for my camera. Photo by Steve Starr

WILLIAM KELLY AT THE CHESTNUT GRILL AND WINE BAR

The handsome host of Chicago’s Upscale T.V. program which airs each Thursday, late night on WPWR joined realtor and investor Barb Bailey and Chestnut Grill and Wine Bar owner Bill Chiles in the parlor of the beautiful restaurant and lounge located in the splendid and historic Seneca Hotel, 200 East Chestnut Street, Chicago.  Kelly interviewed the pair for a segment on his popular, vibrant program, before they all settled in to dine with some beautiful female models and friends. Photo by Steve Starr

MACUCHO & HIS TUMBAO at RUMBA

Dozens of superbly talented and absolutely physically stunning dancers in Chicago flock to the floor of the gorgeous Rumba to show their skills when Macucho & His Tumbao are performing.

A thrilled patron at Rumba gushed to me that Macucho’s band was so fantastic she could not believe it.  It certainly is among my favorites.  Macucho, always dressed to the very top in silk suits and luxurious ties, is at the piano when the room is astounded by the vibrant Latin music he and his men perform.  Here, one will hear ecstatic rhythms that will stir any human to dance even if they cannot walk. Photo by Steve Starr

RIO BAMBA AT BENEFIT

RIO BAMBA performs the elegant sounds of the Samba and other Brazilian beats that make you feel romantic and alive when the scintillating, soft music drives you to move and dance.  Members include John Garvey, Jan Cramer, Mercedes Landazuri, Dan Murosz, and the once drummer for the famed Buckinghams, and actor, Darryl Warren.
Rio Bamba  performs throughout Chicago and are often booked at the wonderful, popular nightclub and restaurant, Katerina’s, at 1951 West Irving Park Road.
The group took time to pose for me after a performance for the Thairapy Plus Salon’s Locks of Love Benefit held at Chicago In Bloom, September 24, 2006. Photo by Steve Starr

TOM BIANCHI at JEAN ALBANO GALLERY

In 1979, highly successful lawyer Tom Bianchi decided to tear up his law degree and paste it into a painting he produced entitled ESQ:Notes From A Lawyer Who Left.  The following year he made his  acclaimed debut showcasing his art in a one man show in New York. Bianchi's superb paintings, photographs and sculptures are exhibited and collected around the globe, and, at this time, eight books on his work have been published. Tom Bianchi, a very nice, classy man, kindly posed for my camera at the opening of his show at the glamorous Jean Albano Gallery, 215  West Superior Street, Chicago, where he exhibited his gorgeous and thrilling photography July 14-August 26, 2006. Photo by Steve Starr

JOHNNY HAZZARD AT THE PALMER HOUSE

Porn Star Johnny Hazzard posed before huge blown up photos of himself during Chicago’s International Mister Leather weekend on May 25, 2006 at the gorgeous, historic Palmer House, located Downtown at 17 East Monroe Street. The handsome man greeted thousands of awestruck fans dumbfounded to see their private icon in person, as they filed past him in a gigantic room containing a dizzyingly vast array of sexually oriented objects for sale. Johnny Hazzard took a few moments to pose for me. Photo by Steve Starr

CHINA ZORILLA AT THE CHESTNUT GRILL AND WINE BAR

Actress China Zorilla was born into an artistic family, March 14, 1922 in Montevideo, Uruguay.  Her grandfather was the National Poet of Uruguay, her father Jose was a famed sculptor and her sister Guma was a celebrated movie costume designer. Zorilla, acting in over 30 films and starring in over 80 plays, is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards around the globe.  In 1984, she won Best Actress at the Havana International Film Festival, and in 2002 won Best Actress at the Moscow International Film festival.   Her many friends and acquaintances around the world include the late Hollywood icon Greta Garbo, and Dustin Hoffman. In town to attend the Chicago Latino Film Festival, Zorilla joined friends to dine at the beautiful Chestnut Grill. Photo by Steve Starr

Above: Photo of Steve Starr in Chicago, September 2, 2006, by Patrick Hipskind

MERRI DEE at the CHESTNUT GRILL AND WINE BAR

Merri Dee, a newscaster for WGN Television, has received numerous awards for her public service and charity work.  She miraculously survived when she and a talk show guest were kidnapped and almost killed--the experience brought her into new worlds of understanding and helping others.  Dee’s philosophy is “If it is meant to be, it is up to me.”
Merri Dee serves as a liaison between WGN and Chicago’s many civic organizations, and each year serves as hostess of the United Negro College Fund telethon.
Photo by Steve Starr

THE RAT PACK IS BACK at the ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

The Las Vegas that belonged to a legendary group of superbly talented men no longer exists.
The Sands Hotel which hosted them and every other luminous star in the country was demolished by implosion in 1996.  Those who remember Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Dean Martin can still bask in the heartwarming memories of a bawdy, glamorous time when women wore diamonds and furs in the afternoons and evenings, and men usually wore a tie with a dashing, well-tailored jacket.

Fans visited Chicago’s Royal George Theatre during the summer of 2006 to see David DeCosta as Frank, Louis Velez as Sammy, Mark Fenske as Joey and Bobby Mayo Jr. as Dean in The Rat Pack Is Back -- A Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean in which the cast told 1960’s jokes and sang great songs accompanied by a fantastic orchestra against a gorgeous curtain covered in a thousand twinkling lit stars. David DeCosta is currently in Las Vegas appearing as Frank in this glittery show at the Greek Isles Casino. Photo by Steve Starr

DIONNE WARWICK at RUMBA

Dionne Warwick, the Grammy Award winning singing star who began her career in 1962 with the chart climbing hit Don't Make Me Over, was dining at Rumba, 351 west Hubbard Street, Chicago, September, 2006, with owner Vivian Rios and a friend, while in town to be honored at the Black Ensemble Theatre where she was the focus of their musical show, Don't make Me Over-A Tribute To Dionne Warwick. When Warwick was introduced by Rumba's musical director, Wo, the entire room burst into a thunderous applause. Photo by Steve Starr

SPIDER SALOFF AT THE CLAUDIA CASSIDY THEATRE

Jazz vocalist Spider Saloff, with an affinity for George Gershwin's music, is a glamorous chanteuse who performs throughout the country while retaining a home in Chicago.  Saloff is seen here posing in the lobby of the Claudia Cassidy Theatre at Chicago's Cultural Center before taking to the stage in her show, A Tribute To Johnny Hartman, featuring songs attributed to the smooth, beloved balladeer. Spider Saloff often performs at Chicago's  wonderful nightclub and restaurant, Katerina's, 1920 West Irving Park Road. Photo by Steve Starr

ERNIE BANKS at FORNETTO MEI

The famous Chicago Cubs baseball player, nicknamed Mr. Cub, was socializing with family members when a bevy of mostly female fans who, after attending a Gloria The Hat party at the Whitehall Hotel, Chicago, July 14, 2006, swooped down upon the icon, and he graciously let me pose them all for my camera. Photo by Steve Starr.