Indeed, he is still alive, and this week I was “up close and personal” with him and two of my friends. I’m sure you’re curious as to why; because of a random dinner party weeks ago.

“Let’s go to Las Vegas for a couple of days.”

Okay, I agreed, but the next morning as I recalled the conversation, I wondered: Did I actually say I would go to LV and see Wayne Newton. Have I dreamed this? Or have I lost my mind? Even in my youth, I wasn’t a fan of that guy, so why would this old gal do it now? Unfortunately, when I checked my phone, a text confirmed all of the plane flights, hotel and dinner reservations, and tickets to Wayne. Ye gods, I must have had one too many last night!

What a curious quartet we were: two old broads and two young broads. Of course, one of the younguns had to fly home earlier, so she missed Mr. Las Vegas, who has been performing there for 65 years! I reluctantly ambled to his small venue inside the Flamingo Hotel and took my seat on a folding chair. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, I hope it’s a short performance.

There’s the adage: anticipate the worst; hope for the best. It wasn’t the worst ninety minutes of my life, nor the best, it was interesting. Unfortunately, his age hampers his ability to sing the high notes and that’s grating on my ears, yet he talked a lot about his long career in show biz, shared pictures, and video clips to verify his memories. Here’s some of my highlights:

1. At 10 years old he and his brother were given their own TV show, Rascals in Rhythm on KOOL-TV in Phoenix. At 15, he and his brother were offered a two-week contract at the Flamingo, performing 4 times a night, 6 days a week! (Due to his age though, he was prohibited from entering the casino floor.) That led to an extended contract, and his dropping out of North High School in his junior year.
2. At 18, he enlisted in the Army only to be rejected because of asthma, so he volunteered to perform for the troops. He eventually replaced Bob Hope as chair of USO Celebrity Circle–a position he still holds.
3. Newton was known for his perfect pitch, and even though, he can not read music, he mastered 15 instruments. In fact, I was in awe of his violin fiddling and performance on the steel guitar.
4. Further, for years he bred and raised Arabian horses at his Las Vegas Ranch, which was said to outdo that of Graceland.
5. I was impressed by the how prolific and varied his career is with over 50 albums and 160 recordings.

As I left the small theater, I hadn’t wasted 90 minutes of my life. I’d been up close and personal with an American icon. Danke Schoen.