THE SUPREMES - NEW LAS VEGAS LAW - TRIBUTE BANDS MUST DECLARE THEMSELVES

NEW LAS VEGAS LAW - TRIBUTE BANDS MUST DECLARE THEMSELVES

Former THE SUPREMES singer MARY WILSON is one of many veteran musicians celebrating after officials in Las Vegas, Nevada passed a new law ordering groups with less than one original band member to call themselves tribute acts. Wilson and several other musicians have long lobbied for the law - she has to date sued five groups performing under the Supremes name. Under the new legislation, if a band falsely advertises itself without at least one member historically linked with the original group, it will be considered a deceptive trading practice. Maxine Porter, the manager of Drifters star Bill Pinkey, hopes the law will be extended to at least 20 other U.S. states by the end of 2007. She says, "In a town like Las Vegas, where you have a constant flow of tourists, this is a place where people expect to have authenticity. "You don't need to see The Drifters advertised on three different marquees." The Platter's Sonny Turner adds, "Nevada is the entertainment capital of the world, so this was one of our major goals."