Here’s a fun photo to kick off our look at Vintage Vegas. This is an authentic look at the 1966 Dunes Hotel marquee on the Las Vegas Strip featuring Russ Morgan and his orchestra – as well as a lounge show called “Vive Les Girls!”
© 2024 VegasNewsWire
My grandfather carried his big bulky Nikon camera everywhere, and loved Las Vegas. Above is a photo of an authentic 35MM slide of a photo he took on the Las Vegas Strip in 1966.
Knowing what the Las Vegas Strip looks like today, it’s hard to imagine that this is the same place. The Strip is so much different now. For example, surface parking lots have been a thing of the past for a long time! This almost looks like a California beach community.
Who Was Russ Morgan?
Russ Morgan was a pretty famous orchestra leader, a contemporary of Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Duke Ellington and Artie Shaw. In fact, he was a trombone player in the 1920s, after leaving his first band, his replacement was none other than Tommy Dorsey.
Russ Morgan must have been reasonably popular across the US. Some of his hit songs in the 1940s and 1950s included “Goodnight My Beautiful” and “Moonlight and Shadows.” It therefore makes sense that this photo would have been taken in 1966, as the name likely caught my grandfather’s eye.
Russ Morgan and his Orchestra still have fans today, with almost 54,000 monthly listeners on Spotify as of March 2024.
And here’s a quick fun fact: In 1965, Russ Morgan agreed to an 8-week stay at the the “Top O’ The Strip” venue at the Dunes Hotel (as seen in the photo above). This show must have been sufficiently popular for the Dunes to extend it – and they kept extending and extending it. Sadly, Morgan died in 1969, but his son Jack kept the show going at the Dunes until 1977!
Know more about Las Vegas Shows in 1966?
Do you have more to add about Russ Morgan, or even Vive Les Girls at the Dunes Hotel in 1966? If so, please add more in the comments below! And definitely contact us with your photos and stories of Vintage Vegas!