Wayne Newton, often called “Mr. Las Vegas,” has had a famous career in show business. He was born in Roanoke, Virginia, on April 3, 1942, and had serious health issues, including bad asthma. Because of this, his family moved to Arizona to help him get better.
By the time he was 15, Newton and his brother Jerry started performing at the Fremont Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. They were only supposed to perform for two weeks, but they ended up staying for a year. Newton said, “In a casino, you had to be 21, so I needed a special work permit at age 15.”
Throughout his career, legends like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. supported Newton and taught him important lessons. Sinatra and Davis Jr. showed him that he needed to be disciplined and always give his best performance. Newton said, “You have to treat every show like it’s your last one—because someday it will be.”
In the early 1960s, Bobby Darin helped Newton start his solo career, leading to hits like “Danke Schoen.” Newton worked incredibly hard, performing up to six shows a night, six nights a week. “I really don’t know any other way to work,” he said.
Despite a net worth of $50 million, Newton continues to perform. “I’m still able to physically do what I want to do on stage… and to see the happiness that those songs bring people,” he explained.
