Newill began to sing in the early 1930s with the Mann Brothers, a west coast band whose home base was Spokane, Washington.

In 1932, he was vocalizing with the Phil Harris band at the Cocoanut Grove night club at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

In the beginning of 1933, he toured and sang with the Gus Arnheim orchestra, and that included more performances at the Cocoanut Grove.

During the latter half of 1936, he was the singer on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show on CBS.

In 1944 he made his Broadway debut as Sergeant Tim O'Hara in Vernon Duke's Sadie Thompson with June Havoc in the title role.