Tony & Dawn OrlandoBy David
The pop group Tony Orlando
and Dawn [Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent] had a string of top 40 hits by
1974 including, Candida (#3), Knock Three Times (#1), Summersand (#19),
What Are You Doing Sunday? (#26), Tie A Yellow Ribbon (#1), Sweet Gypsy
Rose (#3), Steppin' Out Gonna Boogie Tonight (#7), and Look In My Eyes
(#11).
Starting July 3, 1974, Tony
Orlando and Dawn had their
own primetime variety show. They continued to place hits on the charts
during the series run with songs but by the TV show's third season,
interest was waning and it was cancelled mid season. Shortly thereafter,
tragedy struck when Tony's sister died and his best friend, Freddie Prinze
of Chico
and the Man, committed suicide.
To make matters worse, the
affair between Tony and his Dawn partner Telma Hopkins ended. For a while
even though they would perform together, they where not on speaking terms.
Tony's continued drug use caused Telma and Joyce to call management for
help. They where told it would be okay. However several months into a
disastrous tour with bad reviews Tony collapsed on stage and was taken
home for treatment. One year later Tony called a meeting with Dawn and
told them he was going solo.
They didn't speak to each
other for almost two years. Tony finally called them and they have
remained friends since. In 1988 Tony and dawn performed a reunion tour to
great reviews. The tour was so successful that the tour was originally
booked for five weeks and was extended for one year.
In the end Telma left the
tour to be in the ABC sitcom Family
Matters. Today she stars in Half and Half. Telma was
replaced on the tour by Joyce's sister Pam, who had always recorded with
the group but never performed with them. The tour lasted four more years.
Joyce Vincent lost her
daughter to illness at the age of 21 and is now divorced. The TV show was
on in reruns but now is off but is being considered for a DVD release in
the summer of 2004. In addition Tony and Dawn reunited for a PBS special
to be aired in the Spring and are considering a reunion tour for summer
2004.
 |
|
Discography |
|
 |
| 1970 |
Candida |
|
| 1971 |
Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando |
|
| 1973 |
Tuneweaving |
|
| 1973 |
Dawn's New Ragtime Follies
featuring Tony Orlando |
|
| 1974 |
Prime Time |
|
| 1975 |
He Don't Love You... Like I
Love You |
|
| 1975 |
Greatest Hits |
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| 1975 |
Skybird |
|
| 1976 |
To Be With You |
|
| 1998 |
Definitive Collection |
|
|
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