Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton has been a fixture on the entertainment scene for over 40 years. He has performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas alone. A great singer, Wayne can now add dancer to his repertoire, as he is one of the contestants on this year’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Wayne Newton was born in Virginia in 1942. At the age of 65, he is the oldest contestant on this season of “Dancing with the Stars,” but don’t count him out – his entertainment experience far overshadows that of any of the other contestants. He learned to play the piano, guitar, and steel guitar by the time he was six. He appeared on the Grand Ole Opry roadshows and even performed for Harry S. Truman, along with his older brother Jerry.
Wayne’s family moved to Arizona after he had a severe bout with asthma. Once he recovered, he started up his career again. When Wayne was a junior in high school, a booking agent saw him and Jerry on television and took them to Las Vegas for an audition. They immediately booked a gig at the Fremont Hotel and Casino that lasted 46 weeks. They were doing six shows a day, six days a week. To help save his voice, Wayne learned to play additional instruments – 13 in all! Wayne’s big break came when he appeared on the Jackie Gleason show. He would perform on the show an additional eleven times within the next two years. He also guest starred on several Lucille Ball television shows. Bobby Darin produced and engineered his signature hit “Danke Schoen.” He also had hits with “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast,” “Years,” “She Believes in Me” and “While the Feelings Good.”
After opening for Jack Benny for five years, Wayne moved to headlining shows at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas. Wayne broke the attendance records and became a Vegas star. From 1980 to 1982, he headlined at the Aladdin Hotel. In 1999, he signed a 10-year contract with the Stardust Casino, but because it was demolished, he is finishing out his stint at the Hilton as well as touring at casinos and venues all over America. Today, he is still referred to as “Mr. Las Vegas.”
Wayne got back into acting in the late 80s and has been in films such as “Vegas Vacation,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Smokin’ Aces,” and “License to Kill.”
In 2001, Wayne was named the “Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle” taking over for longtime chairman Bob Hope. Wayne has entertained troops all over the world since the Vietnam War. Between 2001 and 2004, he performed in 16 overseas USO tours. The Department of Defense honored Wayne with its highest civilian award for all the performing he has done for the military.
His stint on “Dancing with the Stars” will not be Wayne’s first venture into reality television. In 2005, he had an E! show titled “The Entertainer” in which he chose a winner to headline a Vegas act for one year. He also starred in “Wayne Newton’s Las Vegas” for the Travel Channel.
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