These Amazing Vegas Acts Are Worth Every Penny

The Checkmates

In 1965 The Checkmates were a highly unusual experience for audiences, being an interracial act headlining on the Strip. Their Vegas career began at Pussycat A Go Go, a casino near the old Desert Inn. Three members of the band were black, including the singers Marvin “Sweet Louie” Smith and Sonny Charles, while the other two were white.

The group performed at Caesars, the Flamingo, International, Hilton and Sands. They toured with Frank Sinatra and Bill Cosby and developed a solid professional reputation for delivering a good time and great music. The group recorded the Top 10 song, “Black Pearl,” in 1969. After Sweet Louie died in 2007, Charles joined the Steve Miller Band.