10/22/2025
FLASHBACK RADIO with CHUCK REYNOLDS – SOUTHPOINT SUN – OCTOBER 22, 2025 EDITION
When I recall groups that had multiple #1 hits back in the 70’s, one that quickly comes to mind is Tony Orlando and Dawn.
Well, when they had their first #1 song, in 1971, they were simply called “Dawn”.
And, actually, long before Dawn, in 1961, Tony Orlando was billed by Epic Records as a teenage idol and two of his singles,
“Halfway to Paradise”, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and ‘Bless You”, that were written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
were released but didn’t make much of a stir.
However, Tony’s second and far more success career started as an accident. It all happened in 1970 while he was working
for April-Blackwood Music which was the publishing arm of CBS. Tony reluctantly said he would sing lead vocal on a song he was
certain would disappear into obscurity. However, the song “Candida” went all the way up to three on Billboard’s Hot 100.
With its success, Tony was asked to record the follow-up, “Knock Three Times”. But, before we go any further, we really
should look back at where it all began. It wasn’t that pleasant as Tony’s life began in the ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ section of Manhattan where
he was Michael Anthony Orlando Cassivitis of Greek and Puerto Rican heritage on April 3, 1944.
While he grew up in a tough neighborhood, Tony preferred singing with a doo-wop group instead of fighting with a gang.
With the Five Gents, he knocked on record company doors. But, when the rest of the group dropped out, Tony persevered and,
at the age of 13, was hired to sing demos for publishers. Fortunately, he met Don Kirshner at Aldon Music and was teamed up
with Carole King. One of the demos he recorded for her was “Halfway to Paradise”.
While the next single, “Bless You” made it to number 15 on the Hot 100 in the Fall of 1961, the hits stopped coming and Tony
considered himself a has-been. He married that year and now had a family to support. By 1968 he was hired by April-Blackwood
and worked for writers like James Taylor and Laura Hyro and was now reporting to Clive Davis.
However, one day down the road, he was approached by two record producers, Hank Medress who was also a former member
of the Tokens and Dave Appell. They had a song called “Candida” which they both wanted Tony Orlando to sing. As a favour
to both Medress and Appell, Tony sang and recorded “Candida”. He never expected to hear the song again. Much to his surprise,
he heard it on every major radio station in North America.
But the biggest hits were yet to come. Released in January of 1971, under the new name of “Dawn”, “Knock Three Times”
was the first of three major hits for Tony Orlando and it topped the Billboard Charts for two weeks from January 23rd until February 6th in 1971.
Their next #1 hit, also under the name of Dawn, was “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” which topped the Billboard Charts
for four weeks from April 21st until May 13th of 1973. Their final #1 hit which topped the Charts for three weeks in the month of May of 1975
had the new name of Tony Orlando and Dawn.
Sadly, the music for Tony Orlando and Dawn stopped on July 22, 1977. In the middle of the show at Music Circus in Cohasset,
Massachusetts, Tony stunned the audience – as well as Telma and Joyce – when he announced, “This is my last day as a performer.
I am giving up show business in the name of Jesus Christ. I must give more time to my family”. Shaken by the death of his 21-year-old sister,
Rhonda, a cerebral palsy victim, and the tragic su***de of his close friend Freddie Prinze, Tony was emotionally exhausted.
After five months of what Orlando termed “heavy therapy”, he returned to performing. But, by now, just by himself. Telma
Hopkins went into acting with starring roles in comedy series, like “Bosom Buddies”, “Gimme A Break” and “Family Matters”.
