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Wayne Newton Candidly speaks about his career
Casino Legend

By ERIC FINE
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2007

Wayne Newton says he is thankful for one thing in his career. And he isn't
referring to all the money, glamour and fame. He isn't even referring to
his longevity.

No, Newton says he is thankful for the stage, which he describes as a
sanctuary.

“No matter what I was going through,?? he says, “no matter what the press
was saying about me at a given moment — whether it was heading up the mob
or being owned by the mob or being bankrupt or whatever — the one thing
that never happened is that the American people truly never lost faith in
me.

“In other words,?? Newton adds, “I could walk on stage, and that was the
one place that I could escape from all I was going through in my life.??

Newton, performing this weekend at Harrah's Atlantic City, speaks candidly
about the peaks and valleys of his long career. The folks in Hollywood
should give serious thought to producing a biopic. After all, the man
behind the hit songs “Danke Shoen,?? “Red Roses for a Blue Lady?? and
“Daddy Don't Walk So Fast,?? once appeared on a mafia hit list in the
1980s. Newton attributes this sad fact to a false connection allegedly
reported by the news media when “Mr. Las Vegas?? was in negotiations to
purchase the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

“There was no truth in fact at all,?? says Newton, who turns 65 April 3.
“(It was) to the point where I had to stay in the hotel with bodyguards for
about six weeks because my concern was that if I went home, they would harm
my family. … I mean, I'm an (American) Indian boy from Virginia. What the
hell do I know about (organized crime)? I was about as far removed from the
mafia as anything you could be.??

Fortunately, Newton says, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin intervened on his
behalf, and the matter was resolved.

“After about two weeks … I get a call from the FBI (that) said, ‘Your name
has been taken off the hit list. You can go home.'??

Newton filed for bankruptcy in the early 1990s; he attributed this to poor
decisions made by his management team. At one point, Newton's lawyers had
to deal with 42 separate lawsuits, although the bulk of the litigation was
inflated.

“I was one of those people naive enough to think that show business was all
about being an artist,?? he says, “and not taking care of business. And my
business advisors of course realized that I was a sitting duck, and they
took advantage of it. It was that simple. Now, I did not blame them for
this reason — I should have known better. I'd seen it happen to too many
people. … It wasn't a matter of me being broke, it was a matter of having
42 lawsuits against me that I had no idea existed.??

These days, it's business as usual for Newton. He's planning to record a
new album, reading movie scripts and performing at casinos around the
country. The bookings at Harrah's will be no different. Newton's touring
company includes about two-dozen singers, musicians and tech people.

“We're going to bring a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, a lot of talented
people,?? he says, “and we're going to be doing whatever it is that people
want to hear. The band knows what the opening number is and the closing
number. From then on, it's hang loose.??

Wayne Newton

WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, March 30, Saturday, March 31

WHERE: The Concert Venue, Harrah's Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $100, are available at Harrah's box office or
Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com.

WEB SITE:

www.waynenewton.com