Wayne Newton |
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Wayne Newton performs in Iraq
When he was four years old, Wayne Newton decided he wanted to be an entertainer. By the time he was six, he had already taught himself to play the piano, guitar and steel guitar, and had his own daily radio show before school. His relationship with the USO began when he was eight, performing for President Truman in 1952. Over the course of the next several decades, he went on to learn ten more instruments and performed live before more than 30 million people, including countless thousands of American troops. Throughout his career, Mr. Newton has thrilled audiences with his talent and energy, earning the name "Mr. Las Vegas."
His first appearance in Las Vegas was in 1959 – working six shows a night, six nights a week for five years. His break on the national scene came when Jackie Gleason asked him to appear on his network television show. He returned to Nevada to perform as Jack Benny's opening act before convincing the Flamingo Hilton to make him a headliner. By 1994, he had performed 25,000 shows in Las Vegas alone.
Mr. Newton also has appeared in more than 20 films and numerous television shows. His acting credits include "Vegas Vacation" with Chevy Chase, and the James Bond thriller "License to Kill," "Oceans Eleven," "The Best of the Best II," "North and South, Book II," "Night of the Running Man," "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" and "Las Vegas." He also will appear in the soon-to-be released films "Elvis Has Left the Building," with Kim Basinger, and "Who's Your Daddy." A Native American, Mr. Newton received a "First American in the Arts" award in February 1991 for "Outstanding Guest Performance by an Actor in a Television Series" for his role on "Ally McBeal." For his service to his country and his leadership in the arts, Mr. Newton has been awarded, among other honors, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the American Legend Award, the Achievement Award from First Americans in the Arts, a Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Citizenship Award, the VFW Hall of Fame Award and The American Legion National Commander's Public Relations Award. He also was made an honorary Green Beret at a Fort Bragg ceremony in 1999.
Mr. Newton's relationship with the USO is as long as his career. Over the years, he has entertained in every military conflict since and including the Vietnam War. He performed for nearly 25,000 service members aboard ships off Beirut in1983, soon after the bombing of the U.S. Marine Barracks. He was the first USO performer to go to Afghanistan. Mr. Newton led a tour to Bosnia and Kosovo, and participated in the USO's first tour to Iraq. Since October 2001, he also has served as Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle, with unparalleled dedication, assisting in the recruitment of other celebrities to entertain troops and helping to increase awareness of the USO. Whether he is celebrating July 4th with troops in Korea, comforting a wounded soldier in Iraq, signing autographs on his annual holiday tours or calling a soldier's wife to let her know her husband is fine, he has ensured that service members know they are not forgotten.