Wayne Newton

Wayne Newton (also known by the nicknames: "Mr. Las Vegas", "The Midnight Idol" and "Mr. Entertainment" born April 3, 1942 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American singer and entertainer. One of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Newton's well-known songs include 1972's "Daddy, Don't You Walk so Fast" (his biggest hit, peaking at no.4 on the Billboard chart) "Years" (1980) and his vocal version of "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" (1965) but his best-known hit signature song "Danke Schoen" (1963) which was used in the score for the his 1986 film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

Early Years
Newton was born Carson Wayne Newton in Norfolk, Virginia to Evelyn Marie (nee Plasters; later changed to Smith) and Patrick Newton, who was also an auto mechanic. He has English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German and Native American ancestry. Newton's mother is half-Cherokee and his father is half-Patawomeck. While his father was in the U.S. Navy, Newton spent his early childhood in Roanoke, learning the Piano, guitar and steel guitar at the age of six.

While Newton was still a child, his family moved to a home near Newark, Ohio. He began singing at local clubs, theaters and fairs with his older brother Jerry. Because of his connection with Newark and still having family there, the city selected Newton to be the grand marshal of the bicentennial parade in 2002. Newton's severe asthma forced the family to move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1952, where he attended North High School (Phoenix, Arizona). His brother, as the Rascals in Rhythm, appeared in the Grande Ole Opry roadshows and on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee and performed for the president and auditioned unsuccessfully for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour.

In the spring of 1958, toward the end of Newton's junior year in high school a Las Vegas booking agent saw a local TV show, Lew King Rangers on which the two Newton brothers were performing and took them back for an audition. Originally signed for two weeks, the brother's eventually performed for five years, doing six shows a day. On September 29, 1962, they performed on The Jackie Gleason Show. Newton would perform on Gleason's show twelve times over the following two years. In the early to mid-1960s, Wayne also acted and sang as "Andy" the baby-faced Ponderosa ranch hand on the classic western TV series, Bonanza.

Career as an Entertainer
Many prominent 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. In 1972, his recording for "Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast" sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1972. Influenced music director Rosalie Trombley of Canadian station CKLW "The Big 8" radio in the Detroit area decided to add the record to her radio station to embarrass her ex-husband, who wasn't faithful about seeing his children, as Trombley explained in the documentary "Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8". The record topped the Canadian charts, From Detroit, "Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast" took off and broke nationwide.

From 1980 through 1982, The Beach Boys and The Grass Roots perfomed Independence Day concerts on the Nationwide in Washington D.C. attracting large crowds. However, in April 1983, Newton, a friend and supporter of president Regan and a contributor to Republican Party political campaigns, performed at the Mall's 1983 Independence Day celebration.

On May 23, 1989, Newton's live stage show was broadcast as a Pay-Per-View event called Wayne Newton: Live in Concert. In an odd break with tradition, Newton didn't perform his trademark songs Danke Schoen or Red Roses for a Blue Lady". Newton did, however, close the show with a special finale of MacArthur Park'', which culminated with an onstage rainfall.

On December 12, 1992, Newton hit #1 on the Cashbox Pop and Country charts with the Elvis inspired song, "The Letter". Controversy swirled around this chart feat, as "The Letter" did not chart at all on Billboard Magazine's authoritative Hot 100 chart, Adult Contemporary chart or "Bubbling Under" chart. It did not make the Radio and Records magazine chart either. This marked as the first and only time in history that a record hit #1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, yet failed even to chart on Billboard's Hot 100.

In 1994, Newton performed his 25,000th solo show in Las Vegas.

In 1999, Newton signed a 10-year deal with the Stardust, calling him to perform there 40 weeks out of the year for six shows a week in a showroom named after him. Orchestrated by his business partner, Jack Wishna, this "headliner-in-residence" deal was the first of its kind. In 2005, in preparation for the eventual demolition of the casino, thethe deal was form all reports, amicably terminated; Newton began a 30-show stint that summer at the Hilton. Newton's last show at the Stardust was on April 20, 2005. During a break in his on stage performance, Newton announced to the crowd that night he wanted to spend more time with his wife and new daughter as the main reasonings for cancelling the contract. Newton said the Boyd family made him a very nice offer to say on past the demolition of the hotel and casino and to play in other Boyd ventures, but Newton declined sighting "another deal in the works for Vegas", but he did not mention the Hilton specifically. News crews were expecting this performance to end on time, to make their 10 pm and 11 pm shows, but the show finally ended around 11:30 p.m. thus eliminating the possibility, Mr. Las Vegas went on at 7:30 that night and sang nearly his entire repertoire and songs of other Vegas mainstays as well.

Newton was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 2001, Newton succeeded Bob Hope as chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle. In January 2005, Newton starred a reality television show on E! network called The Entertainer. The winner got a spot in his act, plus a headlining at of their own for a year. And during player introductions at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, Newton sang Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas".

Newton was the Grand Marshal of the 80th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia, May 1-7 2007. Newton canceled a sold-out show to join the festival.

Newton was featured on the 2007 fall season of Dancing with the Stars partnered with two-time champion Cheryl Burke. Newton became the third contestant eliminated from the show. Newton also became the first guest on The Price is Right appearing after a trip to Las Vegas was shown.

In 2007, Newton, revealed on Larry King Live how he personally confronted Johnny Carson about jokes on The Tonight Show host was making about him. Newton said he thought: "Johnny Carson is a mean-spirited human being. And there are people that he has hurt that people will never known about. And for some reason at some point, he decided to turn that kind of negative attention toward me. And I refused to have it"

In 2008, Newton received a Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. The Woordrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a national memorial to President Wilson commemorates "the ideas and concerns of Woodrow Wilson" The award honors leaders who have given back to their communities.

Beginning October 14, 2009, Newton began performing his newest show "Once Before I Go" at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. Newton performed at the Tropicana for a limited time only (approximately six months) Newton currently performs in various venues worldwide on a touring basis.

Charitable Causes
Newton featured in the production of "You Can't Say Love Enough (1996) an all-star single featuring Dolly Parton, Heidi Newfield and several other artist-celebrities; this production served to raise funds for diabetes research and also to institute the Wayne Newton Research Grant awarded by the American Diabetes Association to several researchers including Jose F. Caro and Peter J. Roach

Namesakes
The road serving the main terminal of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is named Wayne Newton Boulevard in his honor.

Finances and Legal Problems
From 1980 until 1982, Newton was part owner of the Aladdin Hotel, in a partnership that led to a number of lawsuits and a failed attempt by Newton to purchase the entire hotel in 1983.

In 1992, Newton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize an estimated $20 million in debts, much of which was accumulated while suing NBC for libel; he claimed that the network had reported that he partnered with the Mafia to buy the Aladdin. His bankruptcy declaration included a $341,000 Internal Revenue Service tax lien. By 1999, he was financially well off again.

In August 2005, the IRS filled lawsuit against Newton alleging that he and his wife owed more than $1.8 million in taxes and penalties. One of Newton's tax lawyers disputed that saying "We believe the IRS owes hi money".

In late 2009, officials at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Michigan claimed Newton owed the airport more than $60,000 for unpaid parking fees, which they claimed he owed after having abandoned a $2 million Fokker F28 plane there more than three years before. The plane was originally flown in for renovations in 2005. After they were completed in 2007 the plane was moved to an outside parking area. The monthly parking fee were $5,000. An aircraft of this type needs to have its engines run at least once a month to retain its airworthiness. In 2009, it was discovered that the interior of the craft was rotting and filled with mold. The plane has since been disassembled, transported and reassembled on his estate grounds.

In February 2010, Bruton Smith sued Newton claiming Newton was delinquent on a loan he had personally guaranteed and then brought from Bank of America. Smith is seeking foreclosure of Newton's Las Vegas ranch Casa de Shenandoah.

Also in February 2010, Clark County sheriff's deputies and a fleet of moving vans were refused entry to Newton's ranch at E. Sunset and S. Pecos roads. The officers attempted to serve civil papers and seize property as part of a $501,388 judgment against Newton awarded Monty Ward, his former personal pilot, but security personnel employed by Newton refused to accept the papers. Ward, who filed suit in 2006, won the judgment for past-due wages in January 2009 and since then had attempted to garnish the wages of Newton when he performed at the MGM Grand and later the Tropicana hotel-casino. As of January 27, 2010 the value of the judgment was reportedly growing at a rate of $126.86 per day.

In a 2009 suit, Newton was accused of failing to pay $32,384 for hay delivered to his Las Vegas ranch, presumably for consumption by his horses at the ranch. As of February 27, 2010, the lawsuit was still pending in Clark County District Court with Newton and his attorneys having filed no responses in court.

In another 2009 suit, Newton was accused of owing GMAC $36,999 for a lease on a Cadillac. The suit was ultimately dropped.

Newton was enmeshed in another lawsuit over a stalled project to convert his 40 acre home into a museum. In this lawsuit, a developer claimed he purchased Newton's home and paid the singer $19.5 million, with the understanding that Newton would move out and allow the property to be converted to a museum. The developer claimed that he has invested $50 million on the project, but that Newton had failed to move out and had deliberately thwarted construction efforts, including by sexually harassing construction workers. The case was set to go to trial in May 2013.

On Monday, December 17, 2012 U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Bruce Markell approved the sale of Wayne Newton's estate, Casa de Shenandoah to be listed for sale by Nathan and Associates, a Las Vegas brokerage firm. Bankruptcy papers placed the value property at $50,800,000.

As of November 2, 2014 the Las Vegas property is for sale.

Family and Personal Life
In 1968, Newton married Elaine Okamura and they had a daughter Erin in 1976. The couple then divorced later in 1985.

In 1994, Newton married the former Kathleen McCrone, a lawyer from North Olmstead, Ohio. The couple had one daughter Lauren Ashley Newton who was born on April 19, 2002.

Show Hosted
The Entertainer Starring Wayne Newton (2005)

Shows Appeared
Dancing with the Stars(2007)

The Price is Right(as guest/2007)

Celebrity Family Feud(2008)

The Amazing Race (2009)

The Apprentice (2013)

Link
His Official Website