Don Lane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don Lane
Born	Morton Donald Isaacson (1933-11-13)13 November 1933 New York City, New York
Died	22 October 2009(2009-10-22) (aged 75) Sydney, Australia
Resting place	Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium
Occupation	TV presenter radio presenter actor night club performer singer sportscaster
Years active	1954–2003
Children	1

Don Lane (born Morton Donald Isaacson, 13 November 1933 – 22 October 2009) was a famous American-born TV host and singer. He was best known for his amazing television career in Australia. He hosted popular shows like Tonight with Don Lane and The Don Lane Show on the Nine Network from 1975 to 1983. He also often appeared with his good friend, Bert Newton.

Early Life and Dreams

Don Lane was born Morton Donald Isaacson in New York City. His dad was a police officer and his mom stayed home. Don grew up in The Bronx. He went to DeWitt Clinton High School where he was classmates with famous actors like Judd Hirsch and Garry Marshall.

From a young age, Don knew he wanted to be in show business. He even put a star on his bedroom door! He loved to sing and tell jokes at parties. Don was also a talented athlete. He played varsity football and basketball in high school. He even got a scholarship to Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for these sports.

Starting His Career

After college, Don teamed up with his friend Manny Glasser to form a comedy and singing act called "Donny and the Duke." They performed in nightclubs in New York.

When he was 21, Don joined the US Army. He continued to entertain troops, even winning an All-Army entertainment contest. This led to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955! After the army, he toured the country for two years, performing for soldiers.

Later, Morton Isaacson decided to change his name for the stage. He chose "Don Lane" after another performer, Frankie Laine. Don performed in nightclubs in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. He even worked with stars like Wayne Newton and Sammy Davis Jr.. He also appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, which he said "paid the bills for years."

In 1964, Don got his first big break. He was offered a job as the main performer at The Dunes Nightclub in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was his first time being the headliner, and he quickly became very successful there.

Australian Television Career

Tonight with Don Lane: 1965–1969

In 1965, a TV producer from Australia, John Collins, was looking for a new host for a talk show in Sydney. He found Don Lane performing in Hawaii. Don sent in an audition tape and got the job! He planned to make his show similar to Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in America.

Don's show was called Tonight with Don Lane. It featured funny skits, interviews with famous guests, and musical performances. Don often sang with the Tonight Show Orchestra. The show's announcer was Mike Walsh, who later became a successful TV host himself.

Don Lane and Graham Kennedy talking on split-screen TV.

Back then, TV shows in Sydney could only be seen in New South Wales. But in 1965, a special cable was finished that connected Sydney with Melbourne. This allowed Don Lane to appear live on split-screen with another famous Australian TV host, Graham Kennedy. They even sang a duet together! They had fun with the new technology, even throwing jugs of water at each other on screen.

Back to the United States

When his show ended in 1969, Don Lane went back to the United States. He became a main act in Las Vegas showrooms. He also played Professor Harold Hill in a musical called The Music Man. Two songs from that musical, "Trouble" and "Seventy-Six Trombones," became his signature songs.

He also appeared in an American comedy series called Wow. This show was similar to Saturday Night Live and featured stars like Cheryl Ladd and Steve Martin.

The Don Lane Show: 1975–1983

In 1975, Don Lane returned to Australia. He was chosen to host a new show in Melbourne. The show was renamed The Don Lane Show. It became a huge success and ran until 1983. Don became one of the highest-paid performers on Australian television. The Don Lane Show is still known as one of the most popular variety shows in Australian TV history.

On the show, Don had a sidekick named Bert Newton. They met for the first time on air and had amazing "chemistry" right away. Their friendship became a big part of the show's appeal.

The Don Lane Show featured big musical performances, famous guests, and funny skits. It was produced by Peter Faiman, who later directed the movie Crocodile Dundee. The show also had an 18-piece "Don Lane Orchestra." It was broadcast live twice a week.

The show was known for using new technology to do interviews with famous entertainers from all over the world. Many major music stars visited Australia and appeared on the show. Some of the guests included ABBA, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Kiss, Olivia Newton-John, Tina Turner, and Stevie Wonder. Robin Williams even made his first talk show appearance on The Don Lane Show! Don also played tennis with Charlton Heston and sang duets with stars like Sammy Davis Jr..

On Don's 47th birthday in 1980, he received a surprise visit on the show from Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley from the band KISS. It turned out that Don and Ace Frehley both went to DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx!

Even though the show featured huge international stars, it also helped young local entertainers get started.

The Don Lane Show was very popular, but it was expensive to make. So, it was cancelled in 1983, even though it still had strong ratings. The final episode aired on Don's 50th birthday, 13 November 1983. It was a long show with many stars like Billy Connolly and David Bowie. Don ended his final show with an emotional song called "Once Before I Go."

After The Don Lane Show

After his show ended, Don Lane moved to Los Angeles. He tried to get roles in movies and American TV. He was even considered for a role in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In 1987, Don returned to Australia. He hosted two short comedy shows for Network Ten. One was called Talkin' To Kids with Don Lane. He wanted to host a show his son could watch and talk about at school. He also hosted the 1987 Logie Awards. The next year, he hosted another talk show called Late Night Oz, but it was cancelled after six months.

Sportscasting Career: 1991–1996

Don Lane's career took a new turn in 1991. He became a sportscaster! Don loved American football and basketball. He hosted NFL games on the ABC. He explained the rules to the Australian audience. He even flew to the United States to host live broadcasts from the Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII. This was the first time an Australian broadcaster had done live coverage from a Super Bowl.

From 1993, Don also hosted college basketball and football games for the ABC. He was also a commentator for Australian basketball games.

Later Television Work

In 1993, Don Lane made a guest appearance on the very last episode of The Late Show. He sang a song and then went behind the camera to film the audience, just like he used to do on his own show.

In 1994, Don hosted two special shows for the Nine Network. These specials, called The Best of The Don Lane Show, showed memorable moments from his famous talk show.

In 1996, Don was honored on the TV show This Is Your Life. Friends like John Farnham, Billy Connolly, and Bert Newton paid tribute to him.

Don also hosted other programs like The Mad Mad World of Sports and 40 Years of Television. He even returned to sportscasting in 2001 to broadcast the Super Bowl again.

Radio Career

While hosting The Don Lane Show, Don also had a morning radio show with Bert Newton on 3UZ in Melbourne. They had many guests who had been on their TV show the night before.

Later, when he moved to Sydney in 1987, Don hosted morning radio shows for two years on 2UE and then 2KY. His radio shows usually featured music and interviews with visiting entertainers.

Cabaret Performer

Don Lane had a background performing in nightclubs in Las Vegas. So, he also performed in clubs and theatres in Australia when he wasn't working on television. He worked in venues all over Sydney and Melbourne.

In 1980, a TV special called Don Lane in Concert showed his 90-minute stage act live on Channel 9. He performed his signature songs like "Seventy-Six Trombones" and "Trouble." He also sang popular songs of the time like "I Still Call Australia Home" and "'She's Out of My life'".

Don Lane was even responsible for naming the "MO" Awards, which are important awards for live entertainment in Australia. He suggested the name to honor a famous Australian comedian named Roy Rene, who was known as "Mo" McCackie. Don won five Mo Awards himself.

In 2006, Don was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACE Awards ceremony for his amazing career. He continued to perform in nightclubs in Sydney until 2005.

Don also released several music recordings, including an LP called "You're Everything" in 1976.

Personal Life

Don Lane married Jayne Ambrose, who was a talent agent. They had a son named Phillip Jacob "P.J." Isaacson, who later became an entertainer himself, known as PJ Lane. Even though Don and Jayne later divorced, they remained good friends.

In 2007, Don released his autobiography called Never Argue With a Mug. The book shared details about his career and experiences in show business.

In 2008, it was announced that Don Lane was living with a memory-related illness. This explained why he hadn't been seen in public much since 2003, when he was inducted into the Logie Awards Hall of Fame.

Logie Awards

National Honours

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Logie Awards were given out separately in each Australian state. This was because it was hard to broadcast live TV shows across states. Don Lane performed in Sydney, while Graham Kennedy hosted a similar show in Melbourne.

State Honours

New South Wales Logies:

In 2003, Don Lane was added to the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame. After he passed away in 2010, his son performed a tribute to him.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards celebrate achievements in live entertainment. Don Lane won 4 awards and hosted the event three times.

Death and Public Memorial

Don Lane's grave at Macquarie Park.

Don Lane passed away on 22 October 2009 in Sydney from a memory-related illness. A private funeral was held for his family and close friends.

On 5 November 2009, a public memorial was held for Don Lane. Over 1,100 people came to remember him. People were asked to make a donation to a charity that helps people with memory illnesses. The memorial featured live performances and speeches from Don's friends, including Rhonda Burchmore, Bert Newton, and Helen Reddy.

Don's son opened the memorial by singing "They're Playing Our Song," which was his father's opening song. Don was remembered as a kind and generous performer. The memorial ended with a recording of Don singing "Once Before I Go" from his final Don Lane Show, which brought tears and applause from the audience.

Images for kids

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  Don Lane and Graham Kennedy talking on split-screen TV.