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Of all the celebrity names associated with Las Vegas, very few shine quite as bright as Wayne Newton. The man who brought us classic songs like “Danke Shoen” and “Red Roses for a Blue Woman” almost immediately comes to mind when one thinks of the legendary entertainers who made Sin City their home stage for many years. The 83-year-old legend will be bringing his act east for a few days as Newton appears at the City Winery on December 29th and 30th. He appeared on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program to talk about a life spent under the neon lights on The Strip.
Newton told host Ken Rosato, filling in for Larry Mendte, that he owes his career in part to a Virginia doctor who diagnosed young Wayne with asthma. “He said to my parents, ‘If you want this kid to live, you better get him out of thus climate, because he has bronchial asthma’. So, at that time, we moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from the time I was eight years old until I was fifteen. My brother and I had a local television show in Phoenix. Then at fifteen, an agent came through and called my mother, and he said, ‘I want that kid to try out in Las Vegas.’ And so, my brother and I got on board a Greyhound, and we moved to Las Vegas.”
Newton, at one point, wanted to serve in the military, but his asthma kept him from being drafted; that was when he stumbled on the USO as a way to show his patriotism: “I went back to Lake Tahoe, where I was appearing, and the Marine Corps had bought out the entire show because it was their birthday. So, I walked out to an entire packed room with nothing but uniforms, and while I was on stage I thought to myself, well, they can stop me from fighting for my country, but they can’t stop me from singing for my country. So I came off-stage and I said to my brother, ‘I’m going to Vietnam’.”
Wayne Newton will be appearing at the City Winery at Pier 57 for two shows on Monday, December 29th and Tuesday, December 30th. Tickets are available at citywinery.com.
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