a mark on the 20th Century, paving the way for the new
millennium.” In November, 1998, he was bestowed the
honor of being knighted “Sir Wayne Newton,”
He is highly visible as a contributor of time, energy and
talent to worthwhile causes. He serves on the board of
many charitable and philanthropic organizations, including
the National Association of Missing and Abused Children,
The LA Lupus Foundation and Opportunity Village, just to
name a few.
Wayne Newton has recorded and released 165 albums
to date. The people of Las Vegas and Nevada, whom he
so dearly loves, have given him their highest honors as
well. He is one of only two people in Las Vegas history
to receive the city’s Medal of Honor, he has been named
Ambassador of Goodwill for the state and he has seen Las
Vegas’ McCarran International Airport’s main thoroughfare
renamed “Wayne Newton Boulevard.” Wayne was also
named one of the “top 3 entertainers of the century in
Nevada and around the world” (along with Frank Sinatra
and Elvis). There is a Wayne Newton star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame and he was bestowed the first star on the
Las Vegas Walk of Fame. To quote Merv Griffin “Las Vegas
without Wayne Newton is like Disneyland without Mickey
Mouse”.
Wayne’s extraordinary life is the outgrowth of one
thing - his willingness and ability to give his all. He is the
entertainer’s entertainer. A born showman who combines
a host of God-given talents with an exceptional and
disciplined work ethic and boundless stamina.
In his 1989 autobiography, Once Before I Go, Wayne
talked about what he was striving to accomplish. He
wanted to be, he said, “a man who dares to dream and
pursue it, using my head for myself and my heart for
others. To leave the world a better place than I found it. I
guess that’s what I hope to do.”