On March 15, 1981, Susan Rapport interviewed Jacqueline Evans (born 1940 in Long Beach, California) about her experiences in Nevada. Evans first talks about living in Reno and Tonopah before moving to Las Vegas where she attended high school. She talks specifically about her extracurricular activities in high school, recreational activities, and other forms of entertainment. The two also discuss political events during the sixties, her husband’s involvement in Indian affairs, and the flood problem in Las Vegas. Evans also talks about bringing children up in Las Vegas, camping as a recreational activity, and the development of Lake Mead.
Oral history interview with Simon Lamsal conducted by Jerwin Tiu, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on December 16, 2022 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Lamsal describes growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, and growing up with his grandparents. After graduating in Nepal, Lamsal applied to college in the United States and started in Arkansas studying computer science but later relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada and continuted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Lamsal describes joining CSUN, the National Millenial Community, and investing in his community. Currently, he is in graduate school and an information technology intern at MGM. Thoroughout the interview, Lamsal touches on a number of other topics regarding finding community, cultural foods, and family life.
Oral history with Chris Davis, Debbie Davis, and Mynda Smith conducted by Claytee D. White and Barbara Tabach on May 24, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Debbie and Chris Davis and Mynda Smith discuss the murder of their daughter and sister (respectively), Neysa Davis Tonks, at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival on October 1, 2017. They discuss plans to form Fifty-Eight Loved and Never Forgotten, a foundation to help educate the children of the 58 families affected that night. Neysa, a single mother, left behind three sons, 24, 18, and 15 years of age. The family members recall how they were first alerted to Neysa's death, and having to locate and identify her body at the coroner's office twenty-four hours later. Chris, David, and Mynda reflect on Neysa's life, her work, and legacy. Debbie, Chris, and Mynda believe that "darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Neysa's light will shine forever."
William “Billy” Christ, born in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, is an accomplished bass player. His parents, Louis and Estemia Christ, were both from Albania and immigrated to Detroit in 1929. Christ’s father was a restaurant owner and his mother worked alongside his father in the restaurant business. Billy started playing the bass in high school and studied with the Detroit Symphony. Billy decided at an early age that he wanted to become a full-time musician. He attended Wayne University to study music and after two years he decided to join the Gene Krupa Band in New York. While living in New York, Billy had the good fortune to play at historical venues such as Apollo Theater, Copacabana, and Bop City. After only a few years, he left New York to join Lena Horne in San Francisco and then Billy made his way to Las Vegas in 1960. Christ’s first job in Las Vegas was on the strip at the Flamingo with the Russ Black Orchestra. Performing in Las Vegas allowed Billy to gain greater access to talented musicians and the opportunity learn from these virtuosos. As a result, Billy quickly matured into a skillful bass player and ultimately went on to work with legendary greats like Paul Anka, Tony Benett, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra. Billy currently lives in Las Vegas and performs weekly at The College of Southern Nevada on Wednesday nights. He has been married to his wife Alene since 1958. When asked about his philosophy on life, Billy responded, “I try not to worry about things and just take it a day at a time and try to be the best person I can be. And play every day.”
Cathie and Chris Millson moved to Las Vegas with their one-year-old daughter, Nicole, in 1984 following Chris’s completion of a cardio-thoracic anesthesiology fellowship in Atlanta, Georgia. Their two other children were born in Las Vegas. Shortly after they arrived they purchased the Rancho Bel Air house where they currently reside. Cathie talks about raising her children and living in Rancho Bel Air, a gated neighborhood of custom houses, which grew to maturity after the Millsons moved in. Cathie’s memories chronicle the growth of Las Vegas from small town to large city, how a certain segment of the population lived and entertained, and how downtown revitalization has brought young people back to Rancho Bel Air to raise their families.