Entertainer Don Lane dies, aged 75 A dementia-type illness has killed legendary entertainer Don Lane, his manager says. Don Lane was the most generous performer in showbiz, his old sparring partner Bert Newton says. PHOTOS: An Aussie entertainment icon The legendary entertainer died from a dementia-related illness on Thursday morning. Lane had been living in a care facility since 2008, when reports surfaced that he was suffering from dementia. The American-born Lane was best known for his work on the hugely successful Don Lane Show, which ran on the Nine Network from 1975 until 1983. It was on the show that he formed a close friendship with fellow entertainer Newton. Newton said that despite his first words to Lane on the show being "go home Yank", the pair "clicked" immediately. "He was one of the leading Australian television stars and certainly one of the most successful in the history of television," Newton told reporters at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, where he's performing in the musical Wicked. "He was certainly the most generous performer that I worked with - he didn't mind where the laughs were coming from and who was getting the laughs. "All I can say is that I can't think of anyone who I liked more in the industry, anyone I enjoyed working with, more than Don Lane." "Our friendship basically grew in front of a television camera," Newton said. "He was a great performer, a close friend and a man with a wonderful sense of humour ... Don could do anything." Newton credited Lane with reinventing the variety show, saying that without him the genre might not have survived. "(Without him) I think variety would have died early in the piece," he said. He said he had a lot to be thankful to Lane about, after his old friend "demanded" Newton be put on the show at a time when Newton said his career "needed a kick along". He credited Lane with giving him his famous moniker "Moonface". Newton said he hadn't seen Lane in more than a year, but had a feeling their conversations were coming to an end when they last spoke about six months ago. (ACA VIDEO: Lane's final TV interview) "I don't think either of us knew it was the last time we would talk to each other, but I think both of us realised it was towards the end of our regular conversations," Newton said. Lane's biographer and friend Janise Beaumont says he was charismatic and funny until the very end. "He didn't want this to happen, but he was still Don," Ms Beaumont told Macquarie Radio. "And pretty much up to the end he was very tactile ... he loved hugs, he still could make eye contact, still be funny, still be charismatic - but this bastard of Alzheimer's... "We've got to find a cure. "I'll go on any committee, I'll dress up in a chicken suit to raise money to help find a cure because it robs people of so much." Ms Beaumont said she noticed Lane was "starting to be a bit fragile" when she began working on his biography more than three years ago. "A lot of people did drop off like flies in Don's life, and I know that above all else Don would want me to say to people `if you know anybody with Alzheimer's, there's still a person in there, and don't walk away from them'," she said. She said she had been friends with the American-born television personality for almost 40 years. "I know him incredibly well and I love him very much," she said. "I preferred the world with him in it." Ms Beaumont said she was proud of Lane for completing the book because it had been hard for him at times. "But he had such a story to tell, such a story about adventures, talent and dreams, and a lot of women," she said. "He was so charismatic and I am one of the women who fell under his spell for a short time many years ago ... but that was nothing compared to the friendship." A private funeral service with very few in attendance would be held on Friday, but a public memorial would be held "down the track", Ms Beaumont said. His manager Jayne Ambrose said Lane's son PJ was devastated by the loss and Australia has suffered a great loss. (ACA VIDEO: Don's son tipped for success) "It's a very sad day for the family," Ambrose said. In parliament on Thursday, Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett said "the very popular Australian entertainer" was a "household name". "On behalf of the government I pass onto his family friends and colleagues the tragic sympathies for his loss," he told parliament. Opposition frontbencher Steven Ciobo said Lane made "a fine contribution to Australian culture" and would be missed by millions. "(He was) someone who made a very marked impact on Australian cultural life," he told parliament. Nine Network chief executive David Gyngell has paid tribute to Mr Lane, calling him one of Australia's finest entertainers. "Today Australia lost one of its finest all-round entertainers," Mr Gyngell said in statement. "Don Lane was a stalwart of the industry and a great mate to so many of us here at Nine. "While Don may have passed, the memories and the laughs he provided will remain with us for many years to come. "Our deepest condolences are conveyed to Jayne Ambrose, PJ and Don's extended family." The Nine Network will air a one-hour special, A Tribute to Don Lane, at 8.30pm Thursday, featuring highlights from his career.