Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942 in Roanoke, Virginia) is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 25,000 concerts in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years. Newton was born to Evelyn Marie "Smith" (née Plasters) and Patrick Newton, who was an auto mechanic. His father was of Irish-Powhatan descent and his mother of German-Cherokee ancestry. While his father was in the U.S. Navy, Newton spent his early childhood in Roanoke. He was active in show business at an early age, learning the piano, guitar, and steel guitar at the age of six. Along with his older brother he appeared with the Grand Ole Opry roadshows, performed for President and auditioned unsuccessfully for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour.