UPDATE 4/28/22 – If you missed Chris Ruggiero’s Valentine’s Day concert at NOTORIETY, you’ll have four more chances to see him in Las Vegas, He’ll be appearing on The Dennis Bono Show at South Point Casino on July 21st, then three full-length shows July 22nd through the 24th. Click here for details for SUMMER IN THE SIXTIES, and here for The Dennis Bono Show.
Can you hear that sound bouncing around in the recesses of your mind? Perhaps it’s a sigh of envy or admiration. Either of those would be natural reactions when you encounter someone as gifted as Chris Ruggiero. The handsome showman seems to have it all…looks, talent, style, dynamic energy, charisma, youth…and a really cool wardrobe. And that’s just a lengthy way of saying “Future Vegas Star”.
If you aren’t familiar with Chris Ruggiero, it’s probably because the Florida resident spends most of his time on the east coast. But he does visit Vegas often enough that he’s already made an impression on some of the city’s most respected performers. Clint Holmes and The Righteous Brothers‘ own Bucky Heard and Bill Medley have taken him under their wings. With the support of those legends, Chris is ready to dazzle with his third show for Sin City.
Ruggiero with The Righteous Brothers and McKenna Medley
I first became aware of Chris during a late 2021 performance of The Bronx Wanderers. Band patriarch Vinny Adinolfi introduced him to the audience as a guest. Apparently, he’d earned the nickname of “Cadillac Chris” from those in the business. The young man was clearly someone to watch out for, so I spoke to the singer and his manager Joseph Mirrione after the show. When I researched his YouTube videos and website, it was obvious that Chris Ruggiero needed a Vegas 411 article.
Although he is only in his early twenties, Chris’ interests span the classics of the fifties, sixties, and seventies He counts legends like Paul Anka, Englebert Humperdink, and Johnny Mathis as muses of a sort. “These men are my heroes, and the fact that they re still selling out theaters in their eighties is such an inspiration to me. I think the lesson is that if you sing music that s timeless, with great lyrics and great melodies, those things never go out of style.”
For those of us who are less than thrilled with today’s music, it’s exciting when members of the younger generation embrace legendary greats. Chris creates a bridge between two eras with the goal of giving new life to familiar songs. “At the end of the show, I want people to say, I ve heard that song a hundred times but I feel like I just heard it for the first time or I ve always heard that song, but now I get it. That s the ultimate compliment for me.
Just before the Christmas season was in full swing, Ruggiero made his latest album “Quiet Nights” available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. It’s the fourth in his collection., all available to order on CD right here. During the C-19 shutdown, he utilized the time to record, perfect his skills, and network with fans through social media (along with dabbling in the culinary arts). His spring 2021 performance at Italian American Club of Las Vegas garnered rave reviews and endeared him to a new legion of followers. They’ll undoubtedly be packing the house when Chris returns to Vegas this February 13tth at downtown’s NOTORIETY Live.
Chris Ruggiero – Run to Me LIVE in Las Vegas (2022)
