Wayne of the Day: Wayne Newton!
By
March 29, 2011
IMAGE COURTESY OF WAYNENEWTON.COM
Since he’s our April cover star and all, we’re giving rapper Lil Wayne quite a bit of attention on our site this week. But he’s hardly the only Wayne who’s made an impact on American culture. With that in mind, we’ve picked a few other notable Waynes whose accomplishments we want to highlight. Today: Wayne Newton!
Occupation: Singer, entertainer, maker of amusing facial expressions.
Age: 68
Hometown: Born in Norfolk, VA; currently resides in Las Vegas.
Claim to Wayne Fame: Wayne Newton learned to play piano and guitar when he was a wee tyke of six, and “Mr. Entertainment” has been an unstoppable force of performance ever since. He’s worked in Las Vegas since 1958, doing as many as six shows per day (lately, fewer), and was the first Vegas “headliner-in-residence,” at the Stardust, starting in 1999. He’s been a friend to Lucille Ball, Ronald Reagan, and George Burns; he’s hosted an E! reality show—is there anything the man can’t do?!
Why We Want Him On Our Side: One word: consistency. The man has performed over 30,000 solo shows in Vegas, which suggests to us that he’s not the flighty type—when Wayne Newton commits, he commits. Also, politeness; it bodes well that his best-known song is just a big ol’ thank-you.
Up Next: Per his website, Newton will tour Italy, Spain, and Portugal in mid-April.
