Norm Clarke
Encyclopedia
Norm Clarke is an American
gossip columnist
for the Las Vegas Review-Journal
in Las Vegas, Nevada
. His column, "Vegas Confidential," covers celebrities and near-celebrities and their doings in the bright lights of "Sin City." The column appears almost every day.
, and got his first break in the newspaper
business covering sports for the Terry Tribune. He moved on to newspaper jobs in Miles City
, Helena
and Billings
. In 1973 he went to work for the Associated Press
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. While there, he covered the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire
in neighboring Southgate, Kentucky
, where 165 people perished. His work in covering the collapse of a 1978 nuclear power
plant cooling tower in West Virginia
, in which 66 construction workers died, earned Clarke and his colleagues a Pulitzer Prize
nomination. He later transferred to San Diego, California
and then Los Angeles
, where he coordinated AP's coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics
.
Right after the Olympics, Clarke went to the Denver Rocky Mountain News to work as a sports writer, eventually covering the expansion Colorado Rockies
. In 1996, he switched to writing a "man about town" column that would become the prototype for his Vegas column. Shortly after moving to Denver
, Clarke won $50,000 in the state lottery
, using the proceeds to buy a house in Denver and in Las Vegas.
Clarke has written two books to date.
came about as a result of a childhood injury, which left him blind
in his right eye.
Clarke is single, but lives with his girlfriend, always referred to in his writings as the "Leggy Blonde."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gossip columnist
Gossip columnist
A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist's opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business ,...
for the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. His column, "Vegas Confidential," covers celebrities and near-celebrities and their doings in the bright lights of "Sin City." The column appears almost every day.
Early life
Clarke grew up in eastern MontanaMontana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, and got his first break in the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
business covering sports for the Terry Tribune. He moved on to newspaper jobs in Miles City
Miles City, Montana
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,123 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
and Billings
Billings
-Places:In Canada:*Billings, OntarioIn Germany:*Billings, HesseIn Russia:*Billings, RussiaIn the United States:* Billings, Montana* Billings, Missouri* Billings, New York* Billings, Oklahoma* Billings County, North Dakota...
. In 1973 he went to work for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. While there, he covered the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire
Beverly Hills Supper Club fire
The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky is the third deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. It occurred on the night of May 28, 1977, during the Memorial Day weekend...
in neighboring Southgate, Kentucky
Southgate, Kentucky
Southgate is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, a part of metropolitan Cincinnati, Ohio. The population was 3,472 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, where 165 people perished. His work in covering the collapse of a 1978 nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plant cooling tower in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, in which 66 construction workers died, earned Clarke and his colleagues a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
nomination. He later transferred to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and then Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he coordinated AP's coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
.
Right after the Olympics, Clarke went to the Denver Rocky Mountain News to work as a sports writer, eventually covering the expansion Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. In 1996, he switched to writing a "man about town" column that would become the prototype for his Vegas column. Shortly after moving to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Clarke won $50,000 in the state lottery
Colorado Lottery
The Colorado Lottery is run by the government of Colorado. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association .The Colorado Lottery began on January 24, 1983, initially selling only scratch tickets. Its first drawing took place on April 23, 1983...
, using the proceeds to buy a house in Denver and in Las Vegas.
Writing career
In 1999, Clarke moved to Las Vegas.Clarke has written two books to date.
- Vegas Confidential: Norm Clarke! Sin City's Ace Insider 1,000 Naked Truths, published by Stephens Press (ISBN 1-932173-26-9). The book is a compilation of material from old columns, plus a great deal of new material. In the book, Clarke lists (among other things) the ten worst tipTipA tip is an extra payment made to certain service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction. Such payments and their size are a matter of social custom. Tipping varies among cultures and by service industry...
pers in Las Vegas. - Norm Clarke's Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales, also published by Stephens Press (ISBN 1-932173-77-3). In the book, Clarke offers remembrances of celebritiesCelebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
who live in, or visit Las Vegas.
Personal
Clarke's trademark eyepatchEyepatch
An eyepatch or eye pad is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the...
came about as a result of a childhood injury, which left him blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
in his right eye.
Clarke is single, but lives with his girlfriend, always referred to in his writings as the "Leggy Blonde."
External links
- NormClarke.com
- Clarke's column archives at the Review-Journal
- http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/spj/clarke.aspClarke's keynote address to Society of Professional JournalistsSociety of Professional JournalistsThe Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
(University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
website, QuickTime)] - Celebrity Week interview with Clarke
- "Montana native lays bare Sin City" — Billings Gazette
- "What happens in Vegas plays in his column" — SignOnSanDiego.com
- "Meeting with Rose a slap in the face" — Clarke column for March 28, 2005