It's easy to understand why Wayne Newton is called Mr. Las Vegas. First of all, there are the more than 30,000 solo shows the guy has played here over the last 40 years. (That's an average of 750 a year!!)
Then there's the fact that he's the consummate entertainer. Even if you are seated in the very back of the venue Wayne is playing, he has an innate ability to make you feel like you're in the first row.
And just like Vegas, Wayne has had his share of "not so great" moments. Vegas had that bizarre moment in the '90s, when it tried to become "kid friendly," while Wayne has his recent stint on 'Dancing With the Stars' to answer for.
But, even though he's had some lows, there have been far more highs in the life of Wayne Newton, the man who continues to be the archetype of the Vegas entertainer. The man who has more than earned the moniker Mr. Las Vegas.
DANKE SCHOEN (High)
Wayne Newton releasing 'Danke Schoen' in 1963 is the equivalent of Led Zeppelin releasing 'Stairway to Heaven.' OK, so maybe it's more like Barry Manilow releasing 'Copa Cabana.' Either way, its release was a pivotal moment in a career that is still going strong. More than 40 years later, it's Wayne's signature song, and its childlike enthusiasm still manages to make us smile.
DANKE SCHOEN PART II (High)
By the '80s, Wayne was already a superstar, but the inclusion of his signature song in the movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' -- which Ferris lip-syncs on a parade float -- helped expose him to a younger generation. For the first time, it was not only OK to admit you liked Wayne Newton if you were under the age of 40, it was cool.
USO (High)
Since succeeding Bob Hope in 2001, Wayne has served as Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle, assisting in the recruitment of other celebrities to entertain U.S. troops. But, he is certainly not new to entertaining our men and women in uniform. In fact, Wayne has entertained service members in every military conflict since and including the Vietnam War. Maybe Mr. Las Vegas isn't broad enough to describe Wayne.
'THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE' (Low)
Always an affable guy, Wayne jumped at the chance to play a villain in this Andrew Dice Clay stinker of a movie. While I'm sure it gave him sick thrill portraying an evil record executive, just sharing the screen with a hack such as Clay has to be considered a low point.
THE UNFORTUNATE MOUSTACHE (Low)
To some people, there's no such thing as a good moustache. (These people obviously don't share my deep appreciation for the upper lip whiskers of guys like Burt Reynolds, Salvador Dali and Rip Taylor.) But, there is certainly a such thing as a bad stash, and Wayne has sported one a few times over the years. Please Wayne, always keep a Mach3 handy.'VEGAS VACATION' (High)
Seven years after his villainous roll in the bomb 'Ford Fairlane,' Wayne redeemed himself by, well, playing himself in 'Vegas Vacation.' His duet with Helen Griswold (Beverly DeAngelo) is one of the movie's shining moments. It's just Wayne being Wayne, which is fine by us, because that's what he does best.
'DANCING WITH THE STARS' (Low)
Why Wayne? Who Wayne? When Wayne? Why did you decide to dance on national television? Who told you that this was a good idea? When will you fire this person? Wayne is a cool guy, but on 'Dancing with the Stars' he comes off as a stiff caricature of himself. It's sad to watch and it was only fitting that he got KO'd of the competition by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. It's going to take a while to bounce back from this one. But, he will undoubtedly bounce back. After all, he's Wayne Newton.
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