The Untold Story of #Wayne Newton: From Radio Prodigy to Las Vegas Icon
Wayne Newton was in Las Vegas even before he was famous. Today, the Las Vegas Strip is home to some A-list celebrities. Residencies are the standard. Newton continues to fascinate people. His website states that he has performed in front of over 40 million people. This figure is amazing. A question arises here. How did he sustain that kind of longevity when so many others passed him by?
How Wayne Newton Built a Radio career at the age of 6
He decided to enter the stage when he was only four years old. He was still a toddler at the time. He taught himself to play the piano. guitar. steel guitar. All by ear. His talent, raw as it is, is undeniable. When he was six years old, he on the radio every morning. Before elementary school. Before breakfast.
Weekends were for his brother. They perform in movie theaters. They performed on the Opry Road Show. The grind started early.
Everything changes when you enter high school. The Newton brothers were discovered by a booking agent in Las Vegas. Two weeks on the Las Vegas Strip. That’s what he signed up for. It became five years.
Six shows a day. 6 days a week. His voice was severely damaged. He had to adapt or quit. Newton learned a new instrument to give his vocal cords a break. He currently plays 13 different instruments. This is no small thing.
Why “Danke Schön” is a statistical anomaly
Let’s think about charts. Name a song with a German title.
Der Kommissar.
99 Luftballons.
that’s it. Most Americans can’t name a third one. Add Wayne Newton’s “Danke Schön” to that list. It means “thank you”.
Newton was 21 years old and chubby. Sing in a high register. It was an unlikely hit. 1963. It was very popular in the lounge scene. The German title gives him an air of sophistication that belies his baby-faced appearance. It worked anyway.
This wasn’t his only strange appearance at the top of the charts.
In 1972, Newton again scored “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast” A little girl asks her father not to leave the house. It was a tearjerker. Rosalie Trombley, the Canadian music director of the influential station CKLW, added the record to her playlist. She did this to embarrass her ex-husband. He didn’t come to see the children.
The song went to the top of the Canadian charts. Then it hit America. It eventually sold a million copies. By now Newton’s vocal range had dropped several notches. He was sportin’ sideburns
How Wayne Newton Works Hard for His Money
This is the million dollar question.
How does Wayne Newton still draw such huge crowds to Las Vegas despite only having a few hit songs?
Let me quote a 1980 Washington Post article that asked the same question.
“He sang ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ on bronchial Brenda Lee tenor and danced around the room making eye contact. He grinned and winked and slid and spun harder than someone changing a tire in the rain.”
“He slams into his second number The rest of the cast made it look easy, but Wayne Newton wanted to sweat and make Saturday Night Fever’s ‘Staying Alive’ tense for a long time.” …And so it began – Wayne Newton’s patented push-me-pull-you routine sent the crowd into a frenzy, cheering and reviling while disarming any possible resistance to Wayne Newton. ”
Now in his 70s, Newton’s voice may not be what it used to be, but he’s still very entertaining as he sings, plays multiple instruments, tells jokes, plays old TV clips and reminisces about his experiences with showbiz stars. He’s such a Vegas fixture that the road leading to Terminal 1 at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport was named “Wayne Newton Boulevard”.
Wayne Newton’s legal battle
In 1980, NBC News reported that Newton had ties to the Mafia. Newton was part owner of the Aladdin Hotel at the time, and other news reports said he was the “face” of the mob. Newton sued NBC for defamation and won. An appeals court said Newton, as a public figure, cannot recover damages because the report was inaccurate but not malicious, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
This isn’t the only lawsuit Newton has been involved with. In 2005, Newton and his wife, Kathleen McCrone, filed court documents disputing claims they owed $1.8 million in taxes and penalties to the IRS. In 2019, a woman accused him that a pet monkey bit her daughter while visiting her former apartment.
Horses and heritage
Besides music, Newton loves nothing more than Arabian horses In fact, he owns about 45 horses and is considered one of the best breeders of Arabian horses in the world. Many of his horses also won equestrian competitions In 2019, Newton heard of the death of Lady Gaga’s beloved horse Arabella, realized that her bloodline came from a horse she owned, and offered Gaga to come to his ranch to see if she wanted a replacement.
“My horses have been with me through all the ups and downs,” Newton told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “When I need peace and sanity, I go to the stable.”
Now That’s Cool
Newton credited his longevity and stamina to his parents, who were half European and half Native American. (His father was Powhatan and Irish; his mother was Cherokee and German.) Newton was married twice and had two children. His net worth is estimated to be around $120 million.
Wayne Newton FAQ
Is Wayne Newton still performing in Las Vegas?
As of 2021, Wayne Newton will continue to perform in Las Vegas. What is Wayne Newton doing today?
Wayne Newton performs at Caesar’s Palace to celebrate over 60 years in Las Vegas. He also serves as a spokesperson for Caesars Entertainment. What was Wayne Newton’s first hit song?
“Danke Schoen” was Wayne Newton’s first hit song. How much does Wayne Newton make?
In 2016, Wayne Newton was estimated to earn at least $10 million per year. Has Wayne Newton retired?
Wayne Newton hasn’t retired yet. He continues to perform in Las Vegas and is part of an advertising campaign aimed at revitalizing the city’s tourism industry.
