Rich Havens has been a professional musician for 51 years, beginning in 1961 at the age of 13. During his professional career, he has worked in most facets of the music business. This book tells of one facet of his career. It includes many of his experiences working in the casino showrooms of Nevada, where he performed with some of the biggest names in show business. The book deals with the basic overall structure of the entertainment business in the Nevada casinos, how the shows were put together and performed, and what many of the entertainers were really like before, during, and after their performances, in Rich’s opinion. This book covers the period from 1962 (when Rich performed the first professional show of his career) until around 2000. It discusses the heyday of casino entertainment in Nevada, and its eventual demise in the 1990s. It is hoped that this book will be both educational and entertaining for the reader.

Rich Havens was born in Reno, Nevada in 1948. At the age of three years, he took his first music lessons, and studied privately for the next ten years. At the age of 12, he was allowed to join The Reno Musicians' Union, Local 368, American Federation of Musicians,and over the following 45 years worked with some of the biggest names in show business. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno; The Music and Arts Institute of San Francisco; and The California Instititue of the Arts in Los Angeles, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Music Perfomance. This book , concerning the casino showrooms of Nevada, covers only one portion of an extensive musical career that lasted for over fifty years. Rich Havens currently resides in his home town of Reno, Nevada.