Elaine Okamura: What happened to Wayne Newton’s first wife?

Elaine Okamura is the ex-wife of Wayne Newton. Elaine’s ex-husband, Wayne is an American singer and actor. As one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas, he is known by the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas, and Mr. Entertainment. His well-known songs include 1972’s “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast”, “Years”, and his vocal version of “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”.  He is the highest-grossing entertainer in Las Vegas history.

Elaine Okamura: Bio Summary

Who was the ex-wife of Wayne Newton?

Elaine Okamura was born in 1944 in  Honolulu, Hawaii, United States States of America. As of 2024, she is 80 years old. Okamura grew up alongside her sister named, Shirley Kajioka. Elaine has an American nationality and is of Asian ethnicity. Not much is known about her childhood as she became famous after she tied the knot with the famous singer. Per TUKO, Okamura worked as a flight attendant for an American airline.

How did Elaine Okamura and Wayne Newton meet? There is no information available regarding how they met. However, Eonline revealed the Las Vegas entertainer didn’t travel too far to marry his wife. Newton and Okamura exchanged their vows at the Flamingo Hotel back in 1968. They got married in a beautiful ceremony in the presence of friends and family.

Though they promised each other forever, things didn’t go as planned. Elaine Okamura and Wayne Newton called their marriage a quit in 1985. They were married for 16 years before their marriage turned sour, however, the cause of their divorce was not made public. Their 16 years of marriage was blessed with a beautiful daughter, Erin Newton, she was born on July 25, 1981. According to Las Vegas Sun Elaine Okamura and Wayne Newton’s daughter Erin was adopted.

Where is Wayne Newton’s first wife Elaine Okamura now?

After their divorce, much was not heard from Elaine Okamura. She moved far away from the media and started to live a private life. She has not granted any interviews or made any headlines in recent years. Okamura’s ex-husband, on the other hand, married Kathleen McCrone, a lawyer from North Olmsted, Ohio. The couple has one daughter, Lauren Ashley Newton, who was born on April 19, 2000.

Elaine Okamura’s ex-husband, Newton has revealed, “My two loves in life, from the time I can remember, were music and horses, and I couldn’t decide which I loved more.” His Arabian horse breeding program, located at his Casa de Shenandoah ranch, is called Aramus Arabians and has produced six generations of horses, breeding over 700 foals, with 96 champions as of 2014. Newton’s first experience with horses was at his uncle’s farm, where he visited frequently.

The Las Vegas entertainer bought his first horse when he sold his bicycle and his parents’ movie camera to buy a foal when he was a sixth grader. Originally owning Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horses, he “fell in love” with the Arabian breed via his ownership of the Champion stallion Aramus, after whom he named his horse ranch. 

ALSO, READ; Erin Newton: What Happened To Wayne Newton’s Daughter?

He first came to the attention of Arabian breeders in 1969 when he partnered with Tom Chauncey, an Arabian breeder and television station owner, to purchase the stallion Naborr from the estate of Anne McCormick. They paid $150,000, which at the time was the highest price ever paid for an Arabian horse at auction. Shortly thereafter, Newton formed a partnership with other Arabian breeders to purchase Aramus, who was a son of Naborr. He became the sole owner of Aramus in 1972.

Elaine Okamura’s ex-husband was given the Arabian Horse Breeders’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. He continues to be directly involved in the management of his horses, planning the breeding program for his horses, determining which to keep and which to sell, and even assisting his ranch staff during foaling season. He was awarded the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman’s Association Breeder of the Year award in 1996.