Thinking of When

Dennis Bono, the consummate interpreter of the Great American Songbook, proclaimed by the Chicago Tribune as quot;a thoroughbred singer, born and bred to singquot;, has now achieved even greater recognition starring as the host of his own successful variety/talk show from Las Vegas, NV featuring established celebrities from the world of entertainment. The Dennis Bono Show is performed weekly in front of a live audience of 800-900 people per show at Sam's Town Hotel & Casino. Dennis' show is broadcast on Vegas' most listened to radio stations; FM station 91.5 KNUV and AM station 720 KDWN, with listeners in 11 western states, Canada and Mexico. The key to the success of the show is that Dennis gets intimate with the entertainers much more than other hosts. Whether on radio, television or in front of a live audience, he is the perfect host - gracious, charming, self-deprecating, attentive and witty. Before he launched his career as a variety talk show host, Dennis started out in the 70's and early 80's by paying his dues as a singer on the eastern seaboard club circuit playing night clubs like Playboy, resorts in the Caribbean and singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium. In 1989 he was living on the East Coast with his first CD release receiving great recognition on the West Coast. During this time, Jilly Rizzo heard him and gave him a call. Jilly introduced Dennis to his closest friend and confidant, Frank Sinatra. Both were impressed by Dennis' discerning taste in music and his interpretation of the standards. Frank Sinatra said quot;this is the kid that's going to carry the torchquot;. Just as Jilly and Mr. S helped guide Dennis' career, Dennis also provides the opportunity on television and radio for young, up and coming talents to be discovered and to showcase their abilities on his show. Dennis' philosophy of the standards is quot;great songs stand the test of time and allow every singer the opportunity to interpret the written word and the notes of the melody in a fresh way that make the song come to lifequot;. He honed his craft singing and touring from Las Vegas to Japan, and everywhere in between. A tour with Don Rickles included Bally's Grand Hotel in Atlantic City and the Golden Nugget and Tropicana Hotels in Las Vegas. In the early 1990's, Dennis starred at the Desert Inn Hotel for two years running. He also opened at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas in 1999 and during 2000, he did a five week tour in Japan. Dennis recorded his second CD, quot;Forget to Rememberquot; in 2000, which received even greater recognition than his first and realized that he could reach even more people through the mediums of television and radio. The concept of the show was to appeal to the 40 and over demographic, which was felt to be a largely neglected audience. In addition to the television and radio shows, Dennis continues to perform concert dates and is about to release a new DVD/CD package to the national and international markets. He is married to former Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Lorraine Hunt-Bono and they reside in Las Vegas where they own and operate the popular Bootlegger Italian Bistro on Las Vegas Boulevard, quot;South Stripquot;.