Vegas entertainer Newley dies at 67

Nearly 22 years ago, British entertainer Anthony Newley told the Las Vegas Sun something that was practically apparent every time he opened his mouth to entertain audiences -- he was no great singer.

With a tone of sadness in his voice, he admitted that his best songs -- "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "The Candy Man" -- did not become hits until someone else recorded them.

But he certainly was a great performer, especially on Las Vegas showroom stages like Caesars Palace and other venues, where his unique voice was combined with pained facial expressions and ever-gesturing hands to pantomime his feelings.

Newley, also known for the stage hit "Stop the World, I Want To Get Off" and the 1967 film version of the children's classic "Doctor Doolittle," died Wednesday in Jensen Beach, Fla. He was 67.

The actor, playwright, author, composer, lyricist and singer died at his southeast Florida home after a lengthy bout with cancer, his former wife Dareth Newley Dunn said.

"He was very much a song stylist," said longtime Las Vegas entertainment reporter Sig Sakowicz, whose reports can be heard weekdays on KLAV 1430 AM. "And he was smart enough not to change that or try to be someone else.

"He would whistle as he walked through the corridors of the Riviera, where he was performing. He sort of galloped along when he was in a happy mood." Newley was a mainstay in Las Vegas during the 1970s and '80s. At one time, he rented a home in town so that his wife and children could stay with him while he did extended engagements.

"I'm very proud to be called a writer of songs that preach and talk," Newley told the Sun in 1977. "Not that there is anything wrong with songs that make you happy and don't make you think. But I think there is room for message songs too.

"I'm a fatalist. I don't mean that in a religious sense. I'm not that much of a God man. But I do believe my path has been set by whatever forces there are."

Seven years after that interview, at age 51, Newley was diagnosed with renal cell cancer and had a kidney removed. He was in good health until the cancer returned in 1997.

Born Sept. 24, 1931, in Hackney, England, Newley began his television and movie acting career at age 13. Newley soared to fame as the Artful Dodger in the 1948 film "Oliver Twist."

Another role as a rock 'n' roll singing idol resulted in Newley becoming a recording star and the heartthrob of thousands of British teenaged girls.

Before he was 30, he had written a book and was the playwright, lyricist and star of the smash Broadway hit "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off," for which he co-wrote the score.

He followed that with a series of hit records, including "Why," which on Jan. 9, 1960, reached No. 1 on the United Kingdom charts, and a string of film appearances.

Newley wrote a number of best-selling hit singles, including "What Kind Of Fool Am I?" "The Candy Man" and "Goldfinger" and co-wrote the score for the hit musicals "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" and "The Roar of The Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd."

"I said to Dareth, my lady, I'd like to retire at 50, go to a hut at the end of the garden and write," Newley told the Sun in 1977. "Yes, I'd like that."

For many years, Newley lived in Surrey, England, about 35 miles outside London. He moved to Florida last December.

He was a former husband of British actress Joan Collins.

Newley, who was married three times, is survived by his mother and four children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.