Wayne's severe asthma forced the family to move to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1952. In the spring of 1958, toward the end of Wayne's junior year in high school, a Las Vegas booking agent saw a local TV show on which the two Newton brothers were performing and took them back with him for an audition. Originally signed for two weeks, the two brothers eventually performed for five years, doing six shows a day.
Newton achieved nationwide recognition on September 29, 1962, when he and his brother performed on The Jackie Gleason Show. He would perform on Gleason's show 12 times over the following two years.
Many other entertainment icons such as Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Danny Thomas, George Burns, and Jack Benny lent Newton their support. In particular, Benny hired Newton as an opening act for his show.
After his job with Benny ended, Newton was offered a job to open for another comic at the Flamingo Hotel, but Newton asked for, and was given, a headline act.
In 1999, Newton signed a 10-year deal with the Stardust, calling for him to perform there 40 weeks out of the year for six shows a week in a showroom named after him. In 2005, in preparation for the eventual demolition of the casino, the deal was, from all reports, amicably terminated; Newton began a 30-show stint that summer at the Hilton. His last show at the Stardust was on April 20, 2005. During a break in his on stage performance, he announced to the crowd that night he wanted to spend more time with his wife and new daughter as the main reasonings for cancelling the contract. Newton said the Boyd family made him a very nice offer to stay on past the demolition of the hotel and casino and to play in other Boyd venues, but Newton declined citing "another deal in the works for Vegas", but he did not mention the Hilton specifically. News crews were expecting this performance to end on time, to make their 10 pm and 11 pm shows, but the show finally ended around 11:30 pm, thus eliminating the possibility. Mr. Las Vegas went on at 7:30 that night, and sang nearly his entire repertoire and songs of other Vegas mainstays as well.
In 2001, Newton succeeded Bob Hope as “Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle.” In January 2005, Newton started a reality television show on E! called The Entertainer. The winner got a spot in his act, plus a headlining act of their own for a year. And recently during player introductions at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, Newton sang Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas."
In 2008, Newton received a Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a national memorial to President Wilson, commemorates "the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson." The award honors leaders who have given back to their communities.rs, earning him the nickname Mr. Las Vegas.
Danke Shoen
Wayne Newton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thank you for all the joy and pain.
Picture shows, second balcony, was the place we'd meet,
Second seat, go Dutch treat, you were sweet.
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen,
Save those lies,darling don't explain
I recall Central Park and all,
How you tore your dress, what a mess, I confess, that's not all.
Thank you for walks down Lover's Lane,
I can see hearts carved on a tree,
Letters intertwined for all time yours and mine, that was fine.
Danke schien, darling, danke schoen,
Thank you for seeing me again.
Though we go on our separate ways,
Still the mem'ry stays for always,
My heart says, danke schoen, auf weidersehn, danke schoen.
In Wayne Newton's song Danke Shoen, he is expressing his gratitude towards his past lover. The lyrics describe the joyful and painful experiences they shared together. The reference to a "picture show" suggests that they may have gone on dates to the movies, and the "second balcony" was the spot where they met. They would "go Dutch treat" which meant that they would split the cost of the date. However, despite any financial arrangements made, Newton still found his lover to be sweet and deserving of gratitude.
The lyrics continue with memories of Central Park, where Newton's lover tore her dress, creating a mess. These stories invoke both happy and chaotic memories of their time together. Despite any negative experiences, Newton is still thankful for "walks down Lover's Lane" and the memories they created together. The reference to "hearts carved on a tree" indicate a romantic past, a sign of their love that is intertwined forever.
As the song nears its end, Newton thanks his lover for seeing him again, even though they may have gone their separate ways. The memories they shared are still alive in his heart, and he concludes the song with thanks again, in German: "danke schoen" and "auf wiedersehen" (goodbye). The song conveys both gratitude and nostalgia, highlighting the bittersweet end of a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen
Thank you very much, my dear, thank you very much
Thank you for all the joy and pain
Thank you for the happy and the sad times we shared
Picture shows, second balcony, was the place we'd meet
We used to meet at the theater's second balcony like in the movies
Second seat, go Dutch treat, you were sweet
We would sit together in the second seat and split the cost of the tickets, you were very kind
Save those lies, darling don't explain
Please don't try to justify your actions with lies, just stop talking
I recall Central Park and all, how you tore your dress, what a mess, I confess, that's not all
I remember the time we went to Central Park and you accidentally ripped your dress, it was a chaotic situation, and I must admit that there's more to the story
Thank you for walks down Lover's Lane
Thank you for the romantic walks we went on together
I can see hearts carved on a tree, letters intertwined for all time yours and mine, that was fine
I remember the time we carved our initials on a tree and I still treasure that moment we shared together
Thank you for seeing me again
Thank you for giving me another chance to see you and talk to you
Though we go on our separate ways, still the mem'ry stays for always
Even though we're going in different directions, I will always have the memories of our time together
My heart says, danke schoen, auf wiedersehen, danke schoen
My heart tells me to say thank you very much and goodbye, thank you very much
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.