Wayne Newton’s professional singing career started when he was six years old, and as a teenager, he had the opportunity to perform alongside his elder brother. After seeing Hank Williams and Kitty Wells play, the celebrity discovered his lifelong passion.
He suffered from asthma, and when he was ten, his family went to Phoenix, Arizona, in search of a better environment for his health. The singer continued to appear on local television stations and perform; he had his own show for a while.
Bobby Darin took the guitarist under his wing in 1962, and the artist assisted him in launching a solo career. The following year, he reached the Top 20 with “Danke Schoen,” and in 1965, he charted with “Red Roses for a Blue Lady.”
Over the course of many decades, he rose to become one of Las Vegas’ highest-paid and most popular entertainers. In 1972, he recorded his last significant song, “Daddy, Don’t You Walk That Fast.”
His legal problems started in the early 1980s, when NBC News reported on his ties to organized crime. Wayne was reported to have been a part owner of the Aladdin casino and hotel using mafia money. He was said to be friends with two Gambino criminal family members.
The star of “License to Kill” sued the network for libel, saying the stories were false and harmed his company and reputation. In 1986, he received a $19 million settlement for the lawsuit, which was ultimately reduced to more than $5 million.
A federal appeals court reversed the judgment in 1990, and the singer appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which denied his appeal the following year. Wayne declared bankruptcy a year later, claiming $20 million in debt.
Eventually, he was involved in a court struggle with Tony Orlando, who sued him for evicting him from the Branson, Missouri, theater they shared. Yet, owing to his devoted wife, the singer was able to overcome all of his difficulties.
Wayne turned 74 on April 3, 2016, and celebrated by bringing “Wayne Newton: Up Close & Personal” back to Las Vegas for 36 weeks. The artist said at the time that he didn’t see himself retiring anytime soon, adding he has never been happier or more content.
On April 21, 2016, the entertainer, who had been gone for five years, will return to Las Vegas’ Bally’s with his new act. When his wife, Kathleen Newton, asked him what was wrong one day, he realized he missed performing.
Wayne claimed at the time that he didn’t know, but he missed being on stage and having things happen that could only happen there. In 2018, the artist went on a nonstop tour around the nation while also rearing horses in his leisure time.
Kathleen’s husband admitted that he’d done very much of what he’d intended to do, but whether or not it was good was another matter! He did, though, highlight that he was the happiest he’d ever been and was looking forward to his and his wife’s 25th wedding anniversary.
The singer stated that they planned to rekindle their vows at the Vatican in Rome or in Hawaii. The pair preferred spending time at home together, and even their date evenings were spent there to prevent Wayne from being surrounded by admirers clamoring for his signature, which he couldn’t refuse.
His wife said that he felt obliged to his audience for allowing him and Kathleen, the lady he met after one of his concerts, to live the lives they did. He attributed his success throughout the years to adapting to what life threw at him.
Kathleen’s sister, Tricia McCrone, commemorated Wayne and his wife’s 27th anniversary on April 10, 2021, with two flashback Instagram photographs, including the couple’s wedding shot. The star’s sister-in-law expressed her undying affection for them.
The pair will celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary on the same day in 2023. In March 2017, the singer posted a flashback photo of himself and Kathleen at an event on Facebook and wished her a happy birthday.
Tricia published an Instagram collage of Wayne and his wife on Wayne’s 81st birthday in 2023, wishing him a good day and calling him the greatest brother-in-law in the world. Kathleen’s sister also praised him for his compassion, ability, and charity.
Tricia expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to call him family before proclaiming her love. Apart from being a devoted spouse, the singer was also a devoted father to his kids.
Wayne and his first wife, Elaine Okamura, had their daughter, Erin Newton, in July 1976. After marrying in 1968 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, the celebrity and Okamura divorced in 1985, claiming irreconcilable differences.
After marrying Kathleen in 1994, the pair announced in April 2002 that they were expecting a baby girl through surrogate in May. Lauren Ashley Newton, the singer’s second child and daughter, was born on April 29, 2002.
When the musician and his attorney wife met their daughter for the first time, they knew precisely what to name her. Wayne valued his family as much as he valued his performance. The three occupied a particular place in the star’s heart.
Tricia posted this Instagram family picture of Wayne, his wife, Lauren, and others enjoying a baseball game in March 2020. Everyone was beaming in their team uniforms as they spent precious time together.
