Each year the Casino Entertainment Awards honors a Casino Entertainer and Casino Executive for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in the Casino Entertainment Industry.
CASINO ENTERTAINER
LEE GREEWOOD
World Acclaimed Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Lee Greenwood is an ACM, CMA and Grammy Award winner who has released more than 20 major label albums, charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts including 7 number one (#1) hits. He is best known for his patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA”. The song has been in the top five on the country singles charts three times. (1991, 2001 and 2003) giving it the distinction of being the only song in any genre of music to achieve that feat. In addition, CBS News voted “God Bless the USA” the most recognizable patriotic song in America.
Greenwood is not only a singer, songwriter and musician but he has also achieved success as an author, penning the politically charged book, Does God Still Bless the USA: A Plea for a Better America, published in 2012. The book went on to be ranked #1 on many of the notable Best Sellers Lists.
President George W. Bush appointed Greenwood to serve on the National Endowment of the Arts Council. That Presidential Appointment continued under President Obama and still continues under President Trump. Not bad for a young man from Sacramento who honed his skills performing for many years playing the piano, the saxophone and singing in many of Nevada’s casinos. You could find him entertaining everywhere from Reno’s Golden Hotel to the Las Vegas Tropicana. More at LeeGreenwood.com
CASINO EXECUTIVE
JOHN MEGLEN
President & Co-CEO of Concerts West/AEG Presents (US)
John Meglen is a music industry veteran with nearly 40 years of experience. Meglen is a founding partner and President & Co-CEO of Concerts West, a global touring division of AEG Presents, a worldwide leader in live entertainment. Recent tours include The Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Chris Young, Brad Paisley and many more.
Meglen is credited with having changed the landscape of Las Vegas entertainment forever when in 2003 Concerts West/AEG Live introduced the successful resident headliner model with Celine Dion’s show A New Day… at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Meglen continued that model at The Colosseum which such big names as Bette Midler, Cher, Rod Stewart, and Shania Twain.
Under Meglen’s direction, AEG Live became the exclusive promoter at another top-notch venue, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; re-launching the upgraded 4,255-seat venue in 2009 with an all-star opening run of sold-out shows by Paul McCartney, The Killers, and Kenny Chesney. The same year saw the first rock residency debut at the Las Vegas venue with Carlos Santana’s successful two-year run, leading the way for hit residencies with Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, and Def Leppard.
This entertainment visionary began his music industry career in Seattle and there aren’t many acts he hasn’t worked with over the years. He’s promoted tours for renowned artists of each decade, everyone from The Beach Boys, to Ozzy Osbourne; from John Denver to Pink Floyd; from Neil Diamond to Nine Inch Nails.