Something that we have written about before is how easily celebrities can fall off our radar. After all, new talents are emerging every single day, making it hard to keep track of all your faves. This is especially true of musical celebrities because we spend so much time listening to their old classics that it’s easy to lose track of what they’re up to in the here and now.
Take Wayne Newton for example. At one point in time, he was a household name, and he spent decades entertaining visitors to Las Vegas. However, most people don’t know what Newton has been doing for the last few years or whether or not he’s still active.
If you’ve got questions about this legendary singer, we’ve got answers. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Wayne Newton!
A humble and not always happy childhood
These days, there are plenty of famous singers who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. No matter how talented they are, it’s hard to not look down on such musicians, especially if they are “nepo babies” who gain fame and fortune based on their parents’ earlier success.
Make no mistake: Wayne Newton wasn’t born with a silver spoon, and he had to fight for every success. Growing up in Roanoke, Virginia, Newton was a sick kid being raised on a farm. And thanks to his bronchial asthma, Newton was the last person anyone would guess would land a musical career.
However, after he saw Hank Williams and Kitty Wells at the Grand Ole Opry, he knew he wanted to be a musician. Armed only with passion and determination, he made this goal a reality.
Wayne Newton’s rise to fame
True to his word, young Wayne Newton mastered several musical instruments and even had his own local radio morning show at the tender age of 6. He hosted that show with his brother, who also performed with him at local shows and even at a USO show for President Truman. Their meteoric rise stalled out, though, when they bombed while auditioning for the insanely popular show Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.
This was only a temporary setback, and by the time he was 15, Wayne Newton was performing in Las Vegas. In many ways, that city would define his career. Before that, though, he had to work through his ongoing health issues.
Early health issues
Growing up, Wayne Newton continued to suffer from bronchial asthma and other health issues. Things got bad enough that he would get sick during every single frigid Virginia winter. Eventually, his parents solved this problem by moving the family out to sunny Arizona.
Obviously, his parents made this major move out of love for their talented child. Sadly, though, Newton always felt guilty about being the cause of such a major change. To this day, he remains haunted by the fact that his parents had to uproot their lives and leave their friends and family behind, just for him.
The birth of an iconic Las Vegas career
Once in Arizona, Wayne Newton and his brother continued to perform, getting an increasing amount of airtime on The Lew King Ranger Show. That was just small time, though, compared to when Newton was invited to perform in Las Vegas when he was only a high school junior. This was meant to be a two-week gig, but audiences loved Newton enough that he was soon invited to perform for an entire year.
This resulted in the surreal fact that Newton was performing in 21+ casinos at the age of only 15. He had to get a work permit, but he also got constant advice from musical legends who took him under their wing. This included major talents like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, and Bobby Darin.
They taught him how to make a splash with every performance, and it wasn’t long before a reviewer dubbed Newton “Mr. Las Vegas.” The nickname stuck, and to this day, it’s how this gifted singer is known all over the world.
Wayne Newton launches his solo career
Up to this point, Wayne Newton shared all of his early successes with his brother. For a time, it looked like they would be a musical duo for the ages. However, Newton decided to launch a solo career, and Bobby Darin helped make that happen in the early 1960s.
This ended up being the smartest decision of Newton’s professional life. He created one hit song after another, and his albums became instant best-sellers. On top of that, he appeared in the occasional Hollywood film. All along, though, he kept performing in Las Vegas, winning new fans year after year.
His nonstop work ethic never did stop, despite getting a show canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of this writing, his career is as strong as ever, complete with worldwide tours and regular Vegas performances. Today, we raise a glass to a true musical icon, one who hit the ground running and showed us just how far talent and determination can really take us.