Elvis Presley became an icon in Las Vegas. However, he will never be “Mr. Las Vegas,” because that name belongs to Wayne Newton.
As one of the most popular entertainers the last five decades, Newton is still enjoying performing in his beloved Vegas. However, the last number of years has been tough on him for several reasons.
So how did Wayne Newton, 81, become a star in the first place? This is his story!
Wayne Newton – ‘Mr. Las Vegas’
When you’re a teenager, everything seems possible. You have dreams about what you wanted to do in the world, but at the same time, that means getting an education and graduating in your 20s.
Wayne Newton – early life
Born on April 3, 1942 in Roanoke, Virginia, Newton grew up with his father Patrick Newton – who worked as an auto mechanic – and his mother Evelyn, who raised the children.
It wasn’t always a happy childhood for Newton: Living at the family farm, he was frequently sick. He had bronchial asthma, which caused him to miss school a lot.
They performed at several local theaters before movies, and in first grade, Newton and his brother even performed at a USO show for President Truman. Two years later, they won a local talent contest, moving on to audition for the biggest amateur show in the US.
However, things didn’t go as planned.
“Even though the hurt was never verbalized, I felt it. It was as if I were a burden. At night I would lie in bed and think how they were giving up everything they ever wanted because of me,” he wrote. “For my parents, it meant tearing up their roots and leaving everything they had known behind.”
First Vegas performance at 15
Wayne Newton and his brother Jerry got their first shows in Arizona at supermarkets as part of The Lew King Ranger Show. They went on to appear on Lew King Rangers Saturday night show on television and got more and more gigs.
Lew King became a very important figure in Wayne Newton’s rise to fame. But as things proceeded, Wayne and his brother soon became too big for only Arizona.
In his junior year of high school, Newton got a gig to play at the Fremont Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas alongside his brother. At first, they were set to perform for two weeks – but they ended up staying for a year. Soon, he went on to play six shows a night for five years.
Las Vegas can be a place where dreams come true. However, it can also be a toxic environment, especially for a young kid. For Wayne Newton, it was probably a very good thing that he was as young as he was when he went there the first time.
“No matter what you were doing in a casino, you had to be 21, so I needed a work permit at age 15,” he told Closer. “So people really took me in to raise me, and made sure I stayed out of trouble and didn’t go down the wrong path.”
At this time, there were plenty of competition in Las Vegas. “The Rat Pack” with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. all performed in Vegas, alongside greats like Elvis and Bobby Darin.
Why nicknamed “Mr. Las Vegas”?
Since Newton was so much younger than the other top talents of Vegas, he got the greatest mentors he could’ve ever gotten.
“What I learned from people that befriended me like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and on and on is that the one thing that will make you happy is your ability to adjust to life,” Wayne Newton said. “And you must be disciplined and treat every show like it’s your last one — because one day it will be!”
Since his first visit to Las Vegas, Wayne Newton was hooked. Even though some might think that Frank Sinatra or Elvis is the king of Vegas, that’s not really true — or at least they didn’t get the nickname Wayne Newton got, “Mr. Las Vegas.”
And in fact, that is probably the most fitting nickname for someone who’s lived the Las Vegas entertainment dream fully. Wayne Newton became a Vegas residency, doing up to 36 weeks of performances without a day off.
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