Lane Lassiter

SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
edited January 1970 in General Hoax Investigation
Edit: I split this topic from Trublu's topic because it's about two different impersonators.<br /><br />I found this Lane Lassiter impersonator, who died last year. When I search for videos of him as MJ I can only find recent stuff where he doesn't really look like MJ that much. But found a picture of him from 1985 and I must say I'm intrigued. Who knows more about this guy? Here he is in 1985:<br /><br />CQNUQ0uWcAAs_EF.jpg<br /><br />Interview from June, 2000: http://www.david-de-alba.com/Lassiter.htm

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Comments

  • SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
    Lane Lassiter & MJ's weird DL picture:<br /><br />lassitermj.jpg<br /><br />Is it just me or do they look similar?

    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

  • trublutrublu Posts: 1,011
    Yeah that's hilarious if Michael went out trolling in Vegas. It sure does look like him and nobody seems to be able to identify him even 7 years later. I'm thinking it's him or a double used in TTI. His mannerisms and looks are spot on. Also when he speaks at the end, it does sound like him. Not someone trying to sound like him. Loving the cheap wig too. Lol.<br /><br />About Lane Lassiter, I'd never heard of him. I've never really paid attention to impersonators before. He must have been quite dedicated to go through such a transformation. Assuming he didn't suffer with vitiligo like MJ did, he seems to have changed his skin colour and everything. Does anyone know how he died? I wonder if MJ ever hired him as a double.
  • SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
    In a different interview he said he just adjusted his make-up. In recent years Lane was too heavy to be a good double from what I can see, but I can see how he would make a good double when he's skinny. After MJ's alleged death there would be no reason to stay skinny anymore so he might have gained a bunch after 6/25/2009. I just think he could pull off the image, even though I don't think he looks like Michael that much. MJ created some kind of frustrating mirage with this wigged image with all the make-up. Someone once told me that when something is so unique, it's easily duplicated. And since I can't find anything about this guy from before 6/25/2009 even though he has been doing this for so long, it just seems interesting. Who knows when it comes to MJ, nothing surprises me anymore honestly.

    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

  • SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
    So I have been researching this Lane Lassiter guy some more. Interesting thing I found on the old MJHD/MJDHI forum:<br /><br /><br />https://www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com/old_mjhd/index_6832.html; http://www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com/forums/index.php/topic,5464.msg87401.html#msg87401<br /><br />The whole article can still be found with the wayback machine:<br /><br />
    Did Michael Jackson, a master of disguises, recruit a double as a diversion during last week's media invasion?<br /><br />Lane Lassiter, a longtime local Jackson impersonator, has a hunch that's what Jackson's handlers had in mind when they met with him recently.<br /><br />Lassiter met backstage with Jackson's representatives about two weeks ago. He was asked if he would be available for an unspecified job.<br /><br />"They came upstairs after the show and said they liked the picture I sent them," said Lassiter. He found it unusual that they didn't attend the show.<br /><br />"They didn't tell me any more than I needed to know," said Lassiter, a 12-year veteran of the Riviera's "An Evening at La Cage."<br /><br />A Jackson impersonator since 1979, Lassiter, a 43-year-old father of two, claims he was the lone Jackson act who wasn't axed in Las Vegas 10 years ago when Jackson was in the middle of another child molestation scandal.<br /><br />The existence of a double has been suspected since TV coverage captured His Weirdness up to something at the Henderson Executive Airport on the day of his return from Santa Barbara. With blankets held up to block the view, Jackson was seen getting in and out of a vehicle and going back into the plane. Seconds later someone who appeared to be Jackson came out the plane door and got back into the car.<br /><br />Suspicious minds believe that a double came out of the plane and was in the car that went on the circuitous three-hour route to Green Valley Ranch. That bit of chicanery would have allowed the real Jackson to be spirited off to another location.<br /><br />Dr. Vegas<br />CBS has an hour-long drama set in Las Vegas planned about a casino house doctor.<br /><br />According to Variety, the concept is loosely based on "Dr. Fink," a longtime house doctor at Caesars Palace.<br /><br />The leading man will be "a good-looking guy who's caring, smart and has a little bit of a wild side," director-writer John Herzfeld told Variety.<br /><br />The Scene and Heard<br /><br />Big Mona at KWID-FM 102 is threatening to open a can of whup-ass on this reporter and deejay Craig Williams of KOMP-FM 92.3. She is taking issue with Williams' account of a KOMP stunt last Saturday. Williams had a KOMP regular named "Brain Dead" driven around town, waving out a window, ala "Jacko," from under a blanket. Williams claimed a KWID staffer got punked by the prank. Didn't happen, says Big Mona. ...<br /><br />The Celebrity Poker Showdown, filmed at the Palms last month and featuring Ben Affleck, begins airing on Bravo Tuesday as part of a six-part, one-hour series. ...<br /><br />Bernie Yuman, longtime Siegfried & Roy manager, has added Jimmy Hopper of the Bellagio's Fontana Room to his stable of entertainers. ...<br /><br />The local chef community is raising eyebrows over the recent mass mailing of $25 discount certificates by a hip restaurant that recently won major acclaim. Those mass mailings are usually a bad sign.<br /><br />May I recommend ...<br /><br />The fabled cream corn at Piero's Italian Cuisine is the creme de la creme of holiday side dishes.<br /><br />The Punch Line<br /><br />"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way -- things I had no words for." -- Georgia O'Keeffe, on painting.<br /><br />https://web.archive.org/web/20031203153239/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Nov-28-Fri-2003/news/22685845.html
    <br /><br />Old thread on MJKIT: http://mjkit.forumotion.net/t2162-lane-lassiter<br /><br />Another odd thing with Lane back in 2009, this was posted 2/10/2009, just a few weeks before the O2 announcement:<br /><br />
    An Evening at La Cage' CLOSES ABRUPTLY AFTER 24-YEAR RUN At THE RIVIERA in VEGAS!<br /><br />The cast of “An Evening at La Cage” was informed Monday that the show was closing effective immediately, after a 24-year run at the Riviera.<br /><br />Headliner Frank Marino said producer Norbert Aleman told the cast of 15 after Monday's show that “because of the economy, he needed to take a break.”<br /><br />Marino said attendance “kept just getting worse and I guess you have to stop the bleeding. It became very expensive to run a show as big as 'La Cage.' “<br /><br />The cast included Crystal Woods as Diana Ross, Jimmy Henderson as Marino's understudy, Lane Lassiter as Michael Jackson, Steven Wayne as Cher, Kenneth Blake as Madonna, Ryan Zink as Reba McEntire, and Brent Allen as Bette Midler.<br /><br />“La Cage,” which opened Sept. 1985, was the fourth longest-running show on the Strip. “Folies Bergere,” the topless revue at the Tropicana, announced last month that it was closing in March after 49 years.<br /><br />There was a local internet report earlier Monday evening that Aleman was closing “Crazy Girls,” his other show at the Riviera, but Marino said that he was informed “Crazy Girls,” which has been on a brief hiatus, is reopening Wednesday.<br /><br />Marino said he plans to take a three-week vacation and launch “Frank Marino's Ultimate Drag Show.” Marino added “look for me to come back in a big way because I'm not ready to give up the title of Vegas' longest-running headliner just yet.”<br /><br />https://www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com/old_mjhd/index_3113.html;<br />http://estergoldberg.typepad.com/views_from_a_broad/2009/02/an-evening-at-la-cage-closes-abruptly-after-24year-run-at-the-riviera-in-vegas-.html<br />
    <br /><br />So this guy has been impersonating Michael since 1981 (according to him in an interview) and yet I can't find any videos online of him performing from before 2009. When I read reviews about him, people say he had the moves spot on.<br /><br />I will post some videos below of him, but all are from 2010 or later. He is too heavy and his make-up is not professional, but I see something interesting here, in mannerisms, the way he moves and talks even, despite the voice. The nose is fake and ridiculously big, not necessary because I found a picture of him without make-up and it looks like he had work done on his nose, so with good make-up his nose would look much more like Michael's than with this fake thing on. I will also post a link to a guy online who impersonates MJ and doesn't look much like him at all, with a pretty wide nose, who pulls off the nose perfectly with his make-up. Just imagine Lane Lassiter in shape, with high quality make-up, wig and clothes. He can definitely pull a Michael Jackson image. But where and why is what I'm still trying to figure out.  <br /><br />I wonder what your thoughts are.<br /><br />
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    <br /><br />And although his movements don't appear to be that sharp anymore, this is Lane too and it looks like this is the only video that might be older than the rest. He's in shape and his dancing is spot on:<br /><br />
    <br /><br />This is the impersonator who fakes the nose pretty well with his make-up:<br />https://nikkijacksong.deviantart.com/gallery/<br /><br />And here is Lane without make-up:<br /><br />lane_no_makeup.jpg

    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

  • SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
    His MySpace page: https://myspace.com/lanelassiter/mixes/classic-my-photos-466670<br /><br />Some pictures:<br /><br />Mj3.gif<br /><br />22418512_1500591112.047.jpg<br /><br />1502208830.6874_ugc_content.jpg<br /><br />michaeljackson3.jpg<br /><br />lane2005.jpg<br /><br />127119-56a0b2f3b6084bdfa316a48e70d3161f-1.jpg<br /><br />qqwm0h.jpg<br /><br />full.jpg<br /><br />l_75aa10.jpg<br /><br />full.jpg

    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

  • SouzaSouza Posts: 9,400
    Just to be absolutely clear: I believe there are 2 Michael Jacksons as in 2 performers as in we have seen 2 REAL Michael Jacksons through the years and I do NOT believe Lane is one of them. But I know that I see 2 MJ's way up to around BAD, then I see one, and in the last decade it seems like I see at least 3. I'm just wondering if Michael hired Lane in 2003 for something and if so, for what and can we find him.

    "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

  • trublutrublu Posts: 1,011
    This is very interesting indeed Souza. The things I'm finding most strange about him:<br /><br />1) No evidence on him pre 2009. If he's spent his whole life impersonating MJ, wouldn't he be known and discussed by fans at least? Leads me to believe that he was on contract for MJ. Maybe not full time but when needed. So it was important that he was kept discreet from the public.<br />2) His eyes. Everyone keeps saying the one thing you can't fake is eyes and everyone can tell MJs eyes instantly. Well this guys eyes are virtually identical! I mean, yes the rest of him looks different, but those eyes!<br /><br />I'm going to look further into what you've posted and come back when I've reflected more.
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