Photo of Lannie Counts by Jerry Metellus

Lannie Counts

Las Vegas Musician—Dubbed the “Heart of Soul”—Reflects on His Life and Career

By Chanelle Hayes

There are many ways that Las Vegas singer Lannie Counts looks at the word grace. “It means you can be as prolific, as professional, as on top of things as you can be, but someone has to give you the yes, no matter what you’re doing or what field it is,” he said. “You see people come on Shark Tank, for instance, with brilliant ideas. You can have a product sell itself, but at some point, either Daymond John or one of the show’s other investors has to say, “Yeah, let’s do it.” In my mind, it’s about getting a yes.”

Counts’ journey is a testament to the power of determination and resilience. “I’ve never given up, no matter how many doors may have closed or how many times I may have heard the word no,” he said, inspiring us all with his unwavering spirit.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Counts’ love of music has always been there. He was primarily exposed to gospel, R&B, soul and jazz in his early years. “I grew up in the church,” he said. “I attended Tonto Street Church of Christ. My mom was instrumental in getting me involved in the choir. Our church didn’t believe in instrumental music; it was all acappella singing. It was very traditional and reserved. I loved sitting beside her and hearing her voice as we sang the congregational songs. My dad loved music as well. With him, it was the Ray Charles records and big-band sounds.”

Counts’ musical influences span a vast spectrum, from Motown legends like Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Jackson 5, the Four Tops and the Temptations to crooners like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson and Johnny Mathis. His brothers introduced him to artists such as Bob James, Eric Gale, Earl Klugh and George Benson, showcasing his diverse and intriguing musical palette.

But in high school, his taste in music varied even more. “In my junior year, I stumbled upon a group of kids who were into rock ‘n’ roll and progressive rock,” he said. Already an “occasional “piano student, Counts began playing the bass then. “We made a lot of cover music and spent time writing and composing together.”

Counts continued in music and began his professional career at 22 when he fronted the top 40 cover band Dreamer in Phoenix five nights a week. “We covered everything from Michael Jackson and Prince to Ratt and Bryan Adams,” he said. “It took me a while to learn how to use my voice since we performed five nights a week. We ended up being a powerhouse band that packed the house every night.”

After his time with Dreamer, Counts became involved in other Top 40 bands and was later the lead singer of Joey Navarro’s Joey Navarro Project, which opened for acts such as Keith Sweat, Najee and Kenny G. “Fronting his band was such an amazing experience for me,” he said. “Joey Navarro is still going strong in Los Angeles today. He teaches and plays with several huge touring groups, like El Chicano.”

Finding a music gig five or six nights a week was easy for Counts, but things took a turn when it fizzled down to only one or two nights a week. With the decline in gigs, he saw it as an opportunity to move to Las Vegas. “When I got to Las Vegas, I quickly learned that if you were in the right band, you could still find a great gig five or six nights a week. Bands would play at one casino for four to six weeks in one place, then four to six weeks at another place, and the next thing you knew, your whole year was filled. Of course, everyone told me, “Man, you should’ve been here in the 80s; you would’ve been turning work away,” but I somehow managed to find those open doors.”

Since moving to Las Vegas more than 30 years ago, Counts has made a name for himself as a featured performer in various bands and shows, such as Sante Fe and the Fat City Horns, the Las Vegas Tenors (who travel the world as headliners for the Royal Caribbean cruise line), Tyriq Johnson’s Serpentine Fire (an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute band) and the Lon Bronson All-Star Band. You may also find him occasionally performing at the Italian American Club in Las Vegas. He was also a part of “Ain’t Nothin’ Like the Real Thing,” a show that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Motown, which ran in the Bally’s Showroom in Atlantic City. Counts’ performances have earned him a reputation as an extraordinarily versatile and talented vocalist.

He also has his original music available on Amazon and iTunes. Some of his songs include “I’ll Always Know Love,” written and produced by Emmy award winner Jerome Gilmer, and “Take Time” and “You’re Free to Go,” both written and produced by Smokey Robinson’s guitarist Robert “Boogie” Bowles. He’s also featured on a song called “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” with Jason Brewer of The Explorers Club, “who Counts says creates unique, authentic old-school R&B sounds.

“I can proudly say that after all these years here in Las Vegas, I performed my first original piece of music at The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas show at Myron’s at The Smith Center in May. “It was such an incredible thrill,” he said. “This wouldn’t have been possible without Keith Thompson, who worked with me on my original composition “Loving You So,” produced and released on digital platforms in 2015. Keith and I had been trying to make the scheduling line up so I could perform it shortly after I released it. Finally, almost 10 years later, it worked out.”

The year 2024 is working in his favor. Counts was a special guest in Michelle Johnson’s “The Look of Love—A Tribute to Burt Bacharach” at Myron’s at The Smith Center in June. “I was thrilled when Michelle asked me to join her Burt Bacharach tribute show. Michelle and I go way back to 1995. We first met when we did “Country Fever” at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas. We were in a six-member gospel choir in the show until it ended in 1997.” Counts also worked with Brody Dolyniuk on “The Peter Gabriel Project” at Sunset Station in Henderson. “Brody has always been a vocal hero of mine,” Counts said. “He’s one of the most gifted sound makers and creators of live music I have ever heard and seen.”

Counts is working hard on a new self-written and produced 16-track album, which he hopes to release by the end of the year. “The album will contain only one remake,” he said. “I have been working on this for about three years now. I’m extremely excited to get this out and feel like the tracks on the album will open more doors for me.”

He’s also working with Clint Holmes on “Crossroads,” a brand-new show highlighting highly unlikely pairings of artists and songs. The show, featuring Rita Lim and Dennis Blair, among other fantastic vocalists, is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Starbright Theatre in Summerlin as part of The Rendezvous series. “Fortunate and truly blessed are understatements, to say the least, for how I feel,” Counts said, as he and Holmes collaborated on “Cooke,” a tribute show celebrating the life and music of Sam Cooke, and “The Greatest R&B Songs Ever Written.” These upcoming projects promise to be exciting additions to his already impressive career.

“I deeply appreciate the many people who have opened doors and taken a chance on me,” Counts said. As the saying goes, “When one door closes, another door opens.” “If that other door never opens, that door opening to me is grace.” This sentiment of gratitude and humility is a testament to his inspiring journey.