Whether or not you realize it, you probably know a song or two fromTony Orlando, 81. The crooner and showbiz icon has been performing since he was 16 years old, with hits like “Halfway to Paradise” and “Bless You.” After decades of a successful showbiz career, Orlando announced in 2024 that he’d be retiring from the life of a performer. Recently, a fan shared a clip from his farewell show and happened to catch an emotional moment from the artist.
Just as he was about to sing his mid-’70s hit with his band and variety show partners Dawn, his former collaborators Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson joined him to perform “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree.”
He began singing the tune when he heard a familiar voice come in and immediately got emotional.
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“These two women lifted me up until my dreams came true,” he tearfully choked out before they resumed their usual banter and got on with the song.
“He perked up a lot when they came out, and then I cried. Great childhood memories right there,” said one fan.
“That song was so popular back in the day, you couldn’t turn the radio on without hearing it,” noted another.
Tony Orlando’s Six-Decade Career
Tony’s history with the two ladies isn’t just wrapped up in this one hit song. The group, which performed under the moniker Dawn, also put out number-one hits “Knock Three Times” and “He Don’t Love You.”
The trio moved on to television by 1974 and hosted a beloved variety hour, Tony Orlando and Dawn, on CBS, which ran until 1976 and featured many show business elites as guests. Orlando spent years of his career dabbling in the entertainment industry, notably traveling thousands of miles to perform for veterans.
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In his later years, he’s taken on Saturday night radio broadcasts on WABC and reportedly hopes to write a Broadway play.
“I’m not retiring from show business,” Orlando toldHuffPost in 2024. “I’ve reinvented myself many times, and now I want to flex my creative muscles writing.”
