Wayne Newton

Newton was born Carson Wayne Newton in Norfolk, Virginia, to Patrick Newton (1915–1990), an auto mechanic, and his wife, Evelyn Marie Smith (1921–1985). He is of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and German ancestry. He told his audience at a concert in Ocean City, NJ, on August 26, 2025, that 50 percent of his heritage is Native American. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Newton spent his early years in Fredericksburg, Virginia, learning the piano, guitar, and steel guitar at age six. He has perfect pitch. He performed in a local music radio show, playing steel guitar and singing country music, before school. Soon after arriving in Phoenix, the brothers competed in a local television talent show, Lew King Rangers, and won. and auditioned unsuccessfully for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour. Newton attended North High School where he was the Sophomore Class President. He was also a member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. On closing night, Newton and his brother were offered a one-year contract to continue performing in Las Vegas. To pursue his music career, Newton left North High School just before finishing his junior year. At age 18, Newton intended to join the US military, but because of his asthma he was given a 1-Y rejection meaning he was qualified to serve only in the event of a major emergency. Instead, Newton volunteered his time performing shows for troops overseas. ==Career as an entertainer==

Early career Wayne Newton and his brother performed at the Fremont Hotel for five years, doing six shows daily six days a week. In 1965, Newton performed on The Lucy Show as a country boy singing to animals. Impressed with Newton's performance, CBS offered Newton his own TV show around this character. In the 1970s, Newton began focusing on primarily performing in Las Vegas. Mr. Las Vegas in 1988 Following the death of Elvis Presley and the aging of many members of the Rat Pack, Newton emerged as the biggest entertainer in Las Vegas. The song peaked at No. 4 in the United States and No. 1 in Australia and Canada, while the album of the same name peaked at No. 25 on the album charts. In 1975, Newton was featured in Glen Campbell Live in London, a TV special for the BBC. Campbell and Newton sang three songs together. From 1980 to 1982, The Beach Boys and The Grass Roots performed Independence Day concerts on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., attracting large crowds. In April 1983, James G. Watt, President Reagan's Secretary of the Interior, banned Independence Day concerts on the Mall by such groups. Watt said that "rock bands" that had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in 1981 and 1982 had encouraged drug use and alcoholism and had attracted "the wrong element" who would threaten individuals and families attending any similar events in the future. Newton entered the Independence Day stage on the Mall on July 4, 1983, to mostly cheering members of the audience, but some members booed. On May 23, 1989, Newton's live stage show was broadcast as a pay-per-view event called Wayne Newton Live in Concert. Newton did not perform his trademark songs "Danke Schoen" or "Red Roses for a Blue Lady"; however, he closed the show with a special finale of "MacArthur Park" which culminated with an onstage rainfall. On December 12, 1992, Newton hit No. 1 on the Cashbox Pop and Country charts with an Elvis-inspired song "The Letter." Controversy swirled around this chart feat as "The Letter" did not chart at all on Billboard's authoritative Hot 100 chart, Adult Contemporary chart, or "Bubbling Under" chart. It did not make the Radio & Records chart either. This marked the first and only time in history that a record hit No. 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart yet failed to chart on Billboards Hot 100. In the 1990s, Newton began performing at other casinos as their headliner, including Bally's, Caesars Palace, and MGM Grand Las Vegas. In his final performance at the Stardust, Newton sang nearly his entire repertoire and songs of other Vegas mainstays as well. During the summer of 2005, Newton began a 30-show stint that summer at the Las Vegas Hilton. Later and current career , Commander, U.S. Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) sings a duet with Wayne Newton aboard the USS Nimitz during a USO show. At the time, the USS Nimitz was deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. June 2003. Going into the 2000s, Newton continued to perform shows in Las Vegas and took a larger role serving as the face of Las Vegas. In January 2005 Newton started a reality television show on E! called The Entertainer. The winner got a spot in his act plus a headlining act of their own for a year. During player introductions at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, Newton sang Presley's "Viva Las Vegas." Newton was featured on the 2007 fall season of Dancing with the Stars partnered with two-time champion Cheryl Burke. He became the third contestant to be eliminated from the contest. During the taping (which takes place at CBS Television City), he also became the first guest on The Price Is Right, which tapes on the same lot, under host Drew Carey, who began adding guests to the show, especially to present prizes. Newton appeared after a trip to Las Vegas was shown. in 2023 Beginning October 14, 2009, Newton began performing his then newest show "Once Before I Go" at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. In 2010, Newton took a five-year hiatus to spend time with his family and prepare his voice for later shows in Las Vegas. In 2016, Newton returned to the stage at Bally's Hotel in the form of a lounge show called "Up Close & Personal," a combination of live singing, playing some of the 13 self-taught instruments (having learned in the past to give his voice a rest when performing six shows a night at the Fremont Hotel), and showing movie and TV clips of himself on screen. In 2010, Newton played the role of a radio DJ named "Mr. New Vegas" in the video game Fallout: New Vegas, a role that was created for him. After performing more than 30,000 shows on the Las Vegas Strip, Newton celebrated his 60th year on stage with a show entitled "Mr. Las Vegas" at Caesars Palace that ran from January to May 2019. Referring to his 60th year on stage, Newton said "It's hard for me to articulate, much less think about it...I was here when Caesars (Palace) was built. This hotel for me has always represented the flagship of the Strip." In June 2020, Newton was seen on television commercials in North America as a spokesperson for Caesars Entertainment to promote the reopening of Caesars Entertainment resorts during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2022 NFL draft, which was held in Las Vegas, Newton announced, alongside Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, the Las Vegas Raiders' third round pick selection of Dylan Parham from the University of Memphis. ==Personal life==

On June 1, 1968, Newton married Elaine Okamura. They divorced in 1985. They have one daughter named Erin, born in 1976. On April 9, 1994, Newton married Kathleen McCrone, a lawyer from North Olmsted, Ohio. Together they have one daughter, born in 2002. Newton was floated as a potential candidate for United States Senate by Frank Fahrenkopf, the former Republican State Chairman of Nevada, but Newton declined to run. In 2010, Newton testified in front of the Rules Committee of the Virginia House of Delegates where he appealed for the state to recognize the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia. Newton believes his father and grandfather have Patawomeck ancestry. Arabian horse breeding Newton has stated, "My two loves in life, from the time I can remember, were music and horses, and I couldn't decide which I loved more." His Arabian horse breeding program, located at his Casa de Shenandoah ranch, is called Aramus Arabians, and has produced six generations of horses, breeding over 700 foals, with 96 champions . Newton's first experience with horses was at his uncle's farm, where he visited frequently. He bought his first horse when he sold his bicycle and his parents' movie camera to buy a foal when he was a sixth-grader. Originally owning Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horses, he "fell in love" with the Arabian breed via his ownership of the Champion stallion Aramus, after whom he named his horse ranch. Shortly thereafter, Newton formed a partnership with other Arabian breeders to purchase Aramus, who was a son of Naborr. He became the sole owner of Aramus in 1972. He continues to be directly involved in management of his horses, planning the breeding program for his horses, determining which to keep and which to sell, and even assisting his ranch staff during foaling season. He was awarded the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman's Association Breeder of the Year award in 1996. Concurrently, the Wayne Newton Research Grant awarded by the American Diabetes Association was created. It has been awarded to several researchers including Jose F. Caro and Peter J. Roach. In 2001, Newton succeeded Bob Hope as chairman of the United Service Organizations Celebrity Circle, a nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Newton was the grand marshal of the 80th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia from May 1–7, 2007. He canceled a sold-out show to join the Festival. In 2008, Newton received a Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a national memorial to President Wilson, commemorates "the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson." The award honors leaders who have given back to their communities. Finances and legal problems From 1980 to 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 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 filed a 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 him 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 has since been disassembled, transported, and reassembled on his estate grounds. In February 2010, Bruton Smith sued Newton, claiming he was delinquent on a loan he had personally guaranteed, then bought from Bank of America. Smith sought foreclosure of Newton's Las Vegas ranch Casa de Shenandoah. That same month, Clark County sheriff's deputies were refused entry to Newton's ranch. The officers attempted to serve civil papers and seize property as part of a $501,388 judgment against Newton awarded to 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. 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 into a museum. The developer claimed that he had invested $50 million on the project, but that Newton had failed to move out and had deliberately thwarted construction efforts. In December 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 of the property at $50.8 million. The property remained on the market, until 2015, when Newton reached an accord with Lacy Harber, the businessman who owned 70% of the corporation that had purchased Casa de Shenandoah to turn it into a museum. Newton and his family moved back into the property, and in September 2015, after construction of a museum to house memorabilia, it was opened for public tours. On April 26, 2018, the property hosted its last public event before closing indefinitely for renovations. ==Discography==

Albums Singles ==Filmography==

Film • 80 Steps to Jonah (1969) - Mark Jonah Winters • Rocky III - Himself (uncredited) • ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986) - Voice, archival • Licence to Kill (1989) - Professor Joe Butcher • The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) - Julian Grendel • The Dark Backward (1991) - Jackie Chrome • Best of the Best 2 (1993) - Weldon • Night of the Running Man (1995) - August Gurino • Vegas Vacation (1997) - Wayne Newton • Elvis Meets Nixon (1997) - Himself • ''Ocean's Eleven'' (2001) - Boxing Spectator (cameo) • ''Who's Your Daddy?'' (2004) - Peter Mack • Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) - Himself (cameo, uncredited) • ''Smokin' Aces'' (2006) - Wayne Newton (cameo) • The Hangover (2009) - Himself (cameo) • Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011) - Jimmy 10-Strings (voice) • 40 West (2011) - Sankey (cameo) • Getting Back to Zero (2013) - Bruce • Sharknado: The 4th Awakens (2016) - Himself • Puppy Love (2021) - Marshall Television • American Bandstand (June 20, 1964) - Sings "Only You" • The Jack Benny Program (December 4, 1964) - Sings two songs and plays multiple instruments • The Ed Sullivan Show (May 3, 1965) - Sings "Hello Dolly" • The Ed Sullivan Show (October 10, 1965) Sings "Remember When" • The Lucy Show (December 27, 1965) - Sings 4 songs in the half-hour episode: "Side by Side", "Bessie the Heifer", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", and "Danke Schoen". • Bonanza (1966) - Plays the character "Andy Walker" in two episodes of the TV series • The Ed Sullivan Show (April 13, 1966) - Sings "April Showers" • The Danny Kaye Show (December 22, 1966) - Guest stars on Danny's Christmas show • ''Here's Lucy'' (Season 1, Episode 9, November 25, 1968) - "Lucy sells Craig to Wayne Newton" • ''Here's Lucy'' (Season 2, Episode 22, February 16, 1970) - "Lucy and Wayne Newton" • Vega$ ("The Classic Connection", 1979) - Appears as Justin Marsh, a race car driver mixed up in crime and friend of Dan Tanna • Vega$ ("Dead Ringer", 1981) - Appears as himself and hires Dan Tanna after receiving threatening phone calls that accuse him of being an imposter • Pimp My Ride ("Robert's Chevrolet Van", 1984) - Appears as himself on the MTV reality show • North and South, Book II (1986) - Appears as CSA Capt. Thomas Turner • Full House ("Viva Las Joey", 1990) - Appears as himself • Roseanne ("Vegas, Vegas", 1991) - Appears as himself • L.A. Law (1991) - Plays the role of the opposing counsel • Perfect Strangers ("Wayne Man", 1992) - Appears as himself; plot of the episode is for Balki to get tickets to Newton's sold-out concert • Tales from the Crypt ("The Pit", 1994) - Plays the role of fight promoter, Wink Barnum • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ("Viva Lost Wages", 1995) - Plays the role of the manager of a Las Vegas casino • Ally McBeal ("They Eat Horses, Don't They?", 1998) • The Pretender ("Cold Dick", 2000) - Appears as himself • My Wife and Kids ("Fantasy Camp", 2004) - Appears as himself • 7th Heaven ("Wayne's World", 2004) - Appears as himself • Kingdom Hospital ("On the Third Day", 2004) - Plays the role of maintenance man, Jack Handlemann • According to Jim ("Vegas Baby", 2003) - Appears as himself • Las Vegas ("Pros and Cons", 2003; "Meatball Montecito", 2006) - Appears as himself • The Entertainer (2005) - Newton hosts the reality competition series hosted that aired on the E! network • Dancing with the Stars (Season 5, 2007) - Appears as a contestant • The Price Is Right (Season 36, 2007) - Makes a guest appearance and participates for a contestant to win a trip to Las Vegas • Celebrity Family Feud (Season 1, 2008) - Appears as a contestant • The Amazing Race ("Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound", 2009) - Appears as himself • The Apprentice ("One of Us Will Win, But Not by Much", 2013) • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Season 15, 2015; Season 16, 2018) - Appeared as a celebrity guest and raised $10,000 for charity, in his case the USO • 46th Academy of Country Music Awards (2011) - Appeared as a member of Toby Keith's entourage as Keith performed the song Red Solo Cup • The Bachelorette ("Week 5", 2018) - Guest appearance where he teaches Bachlorette contestants how to write a song and perform live in Las Vegas • Always Late with Katie Nolan ("Advice for the Las Vegas Raiders", 2018) - Guest appearance where he speaks about the Las Vegas Raiders • 2022 NFL draft (Day 2, 2022) - Announces the 90th overall selection for the Raiders • Hacks ("There Will Be Blood", 2022) - Guest appearance • Fallout ("Season 2", 2025) - Serves as the voice of Mr. New Vegas, the DJ of Radio New Vegas Video games • Fallout: New Vegas (2010) - Serves as the voice of Mr. New Vegas, the DJ of Radio New Vegas, an in-game radio station Bibliography • ==References==