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Whether you were into his schtick or not, he was a helluva singer.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Danny Gans, one of the most popular entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip for the last decade, died in his sleep Friday. He was 52.

Gans was found dead about 3 a.m. by his wife, Julie, at their home in Henderson, said Wynn Resorts spokeswoman Jennifer Dunne.

Henderson police didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment, and the Clark County coroner's office said no information about Gans was immediately available.

"All of us in The Mirage family are deeply saddened to learn of Danny's passing," said Scott Sibella, president of The Mirage, in a statement released through parent company MGM Mirage Inc.

Gans, who performed at The Mirage for more than eight years, moved to the Encore Theater in February. The electronic marquee in front of the Encore posted his picture and the message: "Our friend forever, Danny Gans. 1956-2009."

Steve Wynn, chief executive of Wynn Resorts, called Gans' death "a profoundly tragic event that leaves us all sad and speechless."

"The loss of Danny to his wife Julie, his children, Amy, Andrew and Emily is at this moment impossible to comprehend," Wynn said in a statement.

Gans did rapid-fire imitations of personalities ranging from Tony Bennett to Al Pacino to Sarah Vaughan.

He performed a one-man show, "Danny Gans on Broadway: The Man of Many Voices," in 1995 at the Neil Simon Theater in New York before returning to Las Vegas.

Gans opened Feb. 10 in the 1,500-seat Encore Theater in a concourse between the posh Encore and Wynn resorts on the Strip.

His manager, Chip Lightman, released a statement saying Gans would be remembered as an entertainer and a man who loved his family, God and the city of Las Vegas.

"Danny has been my partner and dear friend for over 18 years. I will truly miss him," Lightman said.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.