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!

Singer Wayne Newton poses for a portrait in May 15, 1969. (Photo by Martin Mills/Getty Images)

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.

But imagine someone told you that when you hit 16, you had already begun your career as an entertainer in Vegas, doing shows for six days each week. To me, it sounds like a dream job, but for Wayne Newton, it was reality.

Newton has been giving the audience in “Sin City” an experience for over 40 years, performing several times each night and many days straight.

The Virginia native was dubbed “Mr. Las Vegas”, and yes, it definitely is a fitting nickname. At 79, Newton isn’t keen on slowing down at all. And still to this day, he looks great.

So how did he even get a gig in Las Vegas to begin with? And why has he stayed for such a long time? This is all you need to know about “Mr. Las Vegas,” Wayne Newton.

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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.

From a very young age, he was destined to be a man of show business. He learned to play the piano, guitar and the steel guitar by ear, and at age 4, he got to see his future with his own eyes.

Wayne Newton’s parents took him to see a Grand Ole Opry show in Roanoke to see Hank Williams and Kitty Wells. He watched on as the two performed – and realized that was exactly was he was going to do.

“That’s what I want to do,” Newton told his mother. “What?” she asked. “That,” he answered, pointing to the stage.

As Newton mastered the instruments, he became more and more talented. Already at age 6, he and his older brother Jerry had their own morning radio show on WDBJ in Roanoke, and people were impressed.

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.”

Wayne Newton – net worth
Through the years, Newton has made a great deal of money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has an estimated net worth of $50 million.

Even though he could lean back, sitting by the pool all day for the rest of his life, Newton is still keen on doing what he loves the most.

And most importantly, he never thinks of the day when he’s not going to be performing.

“No, I really don’t. Only to the extent that I took the vacation – meaning I took a couple of years off,” he explained. “Cause I opened up my ranch to the public, and to get that done I had to really apply full time and interest to getting that done and it was fun.

“I’m still able to physically do what I want to do on stage and sound the way I want to sound and sing the way I want to sing and on and on and on,” he continued. “And to be able to walk out and see the happiness that those songs bring people, I think, is what keeps me waking up in the morning.”

Wayne Newton is a true music legend, and wow, he still looks amazing! We sure hope he will continue with his shows for a long time to come.

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