Early Career
After leaving college, Lane formed a double act with his best friend Manny Glasser called “Donny and the Duke”. The duo worked in local New York nightclubs for a few months before Lane was drafted into the US Army at age 21. He was commissioned as an officer and served in the artillery. While in the army he formed a double act with fellow soldier Murray Levine, Lane usually played the comic while his partner was the straight man. The double act went on to win the all-army entertainment contest and earned them appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955. One year later Lane won the all-army entertainment contest again as a solo act. After his mandatory service in the army, he later toured for two years entertaining troops all over the United States.
After touring the country entertaining the troops as a solo performer, Lane started to work his act in the New York nightclubs. It was at this time that he adopted the stage name of "Don Lane", after fellow entertainer Frankie Laine. Lane worked his act in nightclubs throughout New York, Los Angeles and the showrooms in Las Vegas. During his stint in Las Vegas, he worked alongside Wayne Newton and was often a supporting act for names such as Sammy Davis Jr.. While in Los Angeles, Lane also worked as an actor and featured in national commercials for Coca-Cola, which Lane said "paid the bills for years". He then returned to New York and performed at weddings, nightclubs and parties.
In 1964 Lane was offered a contract to be the headline act at the Dunes Nightclub in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was his first offer to become a headliner and first guaranteed contract as a solo performer. Due to the lucrative offer the Dunes Nightclub made to him, he quickly relocated to Honolulu where he first started to enjoy success as a headline performer. It was in Hawaii that he met his first wife, Gina, who was an exotic dancer.
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