Wayne Newton

Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942), also known as Mr. Las Vegas, is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas and has performed there since 1958, headlining since 1963. He is known by other nicknames such as "The Midnight Idol" and "Mr. Entertainment".

One of the city's most popular performers and at his peak more prominent in Las Vegas than both Sinatra and Presley, Newton has been called by The Washington Post "America's number one night club act." Newton is the highest-grossing entertainer in Las Vegas history. Newton has also appeared in a number of movies and television shows, quite often playing himself or a character associated with Las Vegas.

His well known songs include "Danke Schoen" (1963), "Summer Wind" (1965), "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" (1965), "Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast" (1972) and "Years" (1980). "Danke Schoen" is Newton's signature song and was notably used in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Early years

Newton was born Carson Wayne Newton in Norfolk, Virginia, to Patrick Newton (1915–1990), an auto mechanic, and his wife, Evelyn Marie Smith (1921–1985). He is of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and German ancestry. He told his audience at a concert in Ocean City, NJ, on August 26, 2025, that 50 percent of his heritage is Native American. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Newton spent his early years in Fredericksburg, Virginia, learning the piano, guitar, and steel guitar at age six. He has perfect pitch. He performed in a local music radio show, playing steel guitar and singing country music, before school. On the weekends, he performed in a traveling road show of the Grand Ole Opry.