Wayne Newton
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Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has performed over 25,000 concerts in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nickname Mr. Las Vegas. His longevity and popularity has made him almost synonymous with Las Vegas itself. He still performs at the Stardust resort in Las Vegas for 40 weeks out of the year.
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Early life
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Wayne Newton was active in show business at an early age. He learned the piano, guitar, and steel guitar at the age of six. Along with his older brother Jerry Newton, he appeared with the Grand Ole Opry roadshows, performed for President Harry S. Truman, and auditioned unsuccessfully for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour.
Wayne's severe asthma forced the family to move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1952. In the spring of 1958, toward the end of Wayne's junior year in high school, a Las Vegas booking agent saw a local TV show on which the two Newton brothers were performing and took them back with him for an audition. Originally signed for two weeks, the two brothers eventually performed for five years, doing six shows a day.
Las Vegas
Newton achieved nationwide recognition on September 29, 1962 when he and his brother performed on The Jackie Gleason Show. He would perform on the Jackie Gleason Show 12 times over the following two years.
Many other entertainment icons such as Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Danny Thomas, George Burns, and Jack Benny lent Newton their support. In particular, Benny hired Newton as an opening act for his show.
After his job with Benny ended, Newton was offered a job to open for another comic at the Flamingo Hotel, but Newton asked for, and was given, a headline act.
From 1980 to 1982 Newton was part owner of the Aladdin Hotel.
Newton has performed in Las Vegas ever since, performing over 25,000 shows to date. In 1999, he signed a 10-year deal with the Stardust calling for him to perform there 40 weeks out of the year for six shows a week.
In January 2005, Newton started a reality television show on E! called The Entertainer. The show features ten contestants. The winner gets a spot in his act, plus a headlining act of their own for a year.
Namesakes
The Stardust's main showroom, where Newton has performed since 1999, is named the Wayne Newton Theatre in his honor. The road serving the main terminal of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is named Wayne Newton Boulevard.
Filmography
- 80 Steps to Jonah (1969)
- Licence to Kill (1989)
- The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
- The Dark Backward (1991)
- Best of the Best 2 (1993)
- Night of the Running Man (1994)
- National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation (1997)
- Elvis Is Alive! I Swear I Saw Him Eating Ding Dongs Outside the Piggly Wiggly's (1998) (Cameo)
- Ocean's Eleven (2001) (Cameo)
- Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) (Cameo)
External link
- Official website (http://www.waynenewton.com/)