A GoFundMe account has been set up to buy a Las Vegas lounge legend known as Cook E. Jarr a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.
The fundraiser was started in June and has raised almost $5,600 towards its $20,000 goal, which is the required donation to secure a star.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and stretches from Sahara Avenue to Russell Road. Entertainers, authors, local pioneers, humanitarians, athletes/coaches, and members of the military are eligible.
Cook E. Jarr, who is originally from New Jersey, first performed in Las Vegas in the late 1960s at Caesars Palace. In 1982, he secured a residency at the Sands. Since then, he has performed up and down the Las Vegas Strip, including the El Rancho, the Dunes, Tropicana, Desert Inn, Continental, Bill's Gamblin' Hall, Casino Royale, Harrah's Carnival Court and Paris Las Vegas.
Jarr is known not only for his singing, which includes everything from Frank Sinatra to Billy Joel to Nelly to OutKast, but also for his helmet-like black hair, his chestful of gold chains, and his jokes and dog barks (yes, he barks).
Jarr, whose real name is Anthony Pettine, is also friends with many other well-known entertainers such as Tom Jones, The Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley, Brad Garrett, Ray Romano, George Lopez, Carrot Top, David Copperfield, Penn & Teller and Tony Curtis.
Talk show host and Las Vegas native Jimmy Kimmel is such a fan that he once featured Cook E. Jarr on his late-night talk show on ABC.
The fundraiser was started by a fan named Mark Block from Colorado who has been attending performances by Jarr for 23 years and counting.
Block said that he discovered the Jarr when he was married at Bally's in 1993. Since then, he has seen him 3 to 4 times a year. Block says that he has collected every recording by Jarr that he can find going back to the early 1960s and he runs a Facebook page titled I Love Cook E. Jarr.
Block says he wants to present Jarr with a permanent reminder of his decades of contributions to Las Vegas and to the military (Jarr is also fiercely patriotic and often donates money from merchandise sales to the Wounded Warrior Project).
Anyone who donates at least $50 will receive a special T-shirt designed by Block.
And if you ever do get the chance to check out the highly-entertaining singer, don't forget to bring money for the Tip Jarr.
