Newton farewells entertainer Don Lane

Bert Newton ripped off his hairpiece and was brought to tears as he led tributes to
his good friend, the late TV legend Don Lane, at a public memorial.
Newton was among entertainment legends such as Barry Crocker, Jon English and Helen
Reddy, who came together at South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club on Thursday to bid
farewell to Lane, who died from a dementia-related illness at the age of 75 last
month.
Newton, 71, grew tearful as he spoke about Lane, saying "I'll miss him for the rest
of my life".
"There was nobody in show business that I admired more than Don, and I was happiest
when I was standing beside him. Not only professionally but personally, too," Newton
said.
Rumours the pair had a rift during the later years of The Don Lane Show were
rubbish, he said.
"We all had the opportunity of seeing what a great performer he was on television,
but I thought the magnetism that I enjoyed just as much was the magnetism of the man
offstage.
"He was a proud Aussie, but he never lost those New York smarts."
Newton then said: "In honour of Don I got a brand new hairpiece today" - before
ripping it from his head.
"This now belongs to PJ (Don's son)," Newton laughed.
Helen Reddy gave her first public performance in seven years, and Rhonda Burchmore
contributed a rousing rendition of the show tune New York, New York, in tribute to
American-born Lane.
Lane's son, PJ, delighted the crowd by singing They're Playing Our Song.
"It's hard to match what he did because when Dad performed there was just this
energy and excitement," PJ Lane told the audience.
"He was unique, not just as a performer, but as a person as well - he was such a
larger-than-life personality and someone I was proud to call my dad."
Speakers such as Brian Doyle and Mike McColl Jones regaled the throng with tales of
Lane's mischievous antics.
"He made the times we live in a little more interesting and a lot more
entertaining," Doyle said.
"He was the complete performer - radio, television, concerts and cabaret - a total
pro."
Hundreds of fans joined Lane's celebrity friends in the club's Showroom, where the
devout Rabbitohs supporter had spent many years performing.
Some admirers had lined up since 6.45am to make sure they got tickets, with Lane's
former wife Jayne Ambrose handing out copies of his autobiography.
It was an event of many standing ovations, and the crowd jumped to its feet again
for the closing number, a clip of Lane singing Once Before I Go, the song he used to
finish his show with in 1983.
Entertainer Barry Crocker, 74, said Lane, his friend of 42 years, would've "had a
ball" at the celebration.
"It was very colourful, he would've been very happy, he'd been saying, good job, do
ya like that, do ya like that," Crocker told AAP.
"I think he would've been very pleased with the attendance and the people that came,
his peers - people that respected him."
Crocker said Lane, who delighted a generation of Australians with his evening
variety show, was one of a passing breed.
"We're going very, very fast at the moment," Crocker said.
"Several of us are ill, other people out there who may be popping off fairly shortly.
"We've got to start taking care of each other a little more and see each other more."