He's a legend, a gentleman, and loved by all who know him in the entertainment industry. After six decades of wowing fans around the globe, singer, songwriter, and master entertainer Tony Orlando has recently hung up his live performance hat. A retirement? Heck no. The icon is just putting the brakes on touring but has big plans in the works to exercise his impeccable writing chops. And you can still hear him on Saturday nights as he currently hosts his own radio show on 77 WABC. The Grammy nominee has sold millions of records, including five that hit #1: 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree,' a timeless anthem for our soldiers, veterans, and any loved one coming home; 'Knock Three Times,' 'Candida,' 'My Sweet Gypsy Rose,' and 'He Don't Love You (Like I Love You).' He has two Platinum and three Gold albums and 15 Top 40 Hits. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center last year and was the first vocal pop artist to sign with Epic Records and hit the national music charts in 1961. He's an author, has acted in movies (was hysterical in Adam Sandler's That's My Boy ) and on Broadway, and was a music exec for Clive Davis repping everyone from James Taylor, Laura Nyro, and Blood Sweat & Tears to signing and producing Barry Manilow's first recording. Of course, he also hosted the hugely popular variety show Tony Orlando and Dawn in the 70s. He has been honored several times with lifetime achievement awards for his contributions to the industry, his enormous charitable efforts to support our veterans, and for 33 years served as cohost of the muscular dystrophy telethon helping to raise millions of dollars to find a cure for muscular dystrophy. We were so fortunate to have him grace the LifeMinute Studios last month, just before his 80th birthday, to celebrate a remarkable career, but even more, celebrate a remarkable human being. This is a LifeMinute with the incomparable Tony Orlando.
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00:00 Hi everybody, this is Tony Orlando and you're watching Life Minute TV.
00:04 He's a legend, a gentleman and loved by all who know him and after six decades singer-songwriter and master entertainer
00:15 Tony Orlando has recently hung up his live performance hat. A retirement? Heck no!
00:20 The icon is just putting the brakes on touring but has big plans in the works to exercise his impeccable writing chops
00:27 And you can still hear him on Saturday nights too. He currently hosts his own radio show on 77 WABC
00:33 We were so fortunate to have him grace the Life Minute Studios last month just before his 80th birthday
00:39 To celebrate a remarkable career and an even more remarkable human being. This is a Life Minute with the incomparable Tony Orlando
00:48 My first hit record came out 64 years ago
00:53 1961 most people think it was with Dawn but way before that in 1961 Carole King and I
01:00 She wrote a song with her husband called halfway to paradise went to number one for me here in New York, but it went top 10
01:06 nationally
01:09 64 years ago
01:11 I'm 79 years old. I
01:13 Saw Elton retired. I saw Kenny Loggins retired. I saw Bill Medley retired
01:20 I saw Gladys Knight retired
01:23 I saw the Oak Ridge boys retired. I said there must be something to this and here's what the something is
01:30 we can still hit the ball we just can't run the bases and
01:34 Basically what that means is
01:38 in order to do shows
01:40 Travel is a component
01:43 Sound checks are a component
01:45 Cancellations at airports are definitely a component
01:50 delays are component bus travel is a component and it's gotten to the point now where it's
01:57 Way above the opportunity to do the shows
02:03 Also
02:07 the cost of an airline a
02:09 Ticket for each one of my musicians is almost $2,000 a person
02:13 the cost of a room
02:15 Just like all of us have costs that's gone up
02:19 So and then you say, okay, what's the reality here? The reality is the audience is shrinking. They're getting older
02:25 It's time for the younger guys to take over and after
02:29 64 years journey of a dream that started on a rooftop here in New York City on
02:35 21st Street
02:37 You know what you do you thank the audience for their love and support and you thank God
02:43 Music is a tool
02:47 You know, there's no boundaries there's no borders when it comes to music
02:51 My palate has tasted the foods of 14 different countries
02:56 The song yellow ribbon has been part of many countries as a theme song
03:03 If you go to the Philippines
03:12 it was
03:14 part of their
03:15 culture now because when
03:17 President Keno's husband was shot on the tarmac by some terrorists. They adopted the song as their homecoming
03:24 The same thing in Singapore the same thing in Hong Kong right now as they're declaring their democracy right now
03:31 They're playing that tie a yellow ribbon record right now the same in Israel right now
03:36 They're wearing yellow ribbons and hope that the American and Israeli hostages come home
03:40 so
03:42 You know when you're part of something like that
03:45 and it allows you to be the host of a must for just if you tell father 33 years and
03:50 Then you are able to raise hundreds of million dollars for veterans and the veterans needs you realize
03:58 that having success or recognition of some kind if you don't pay back if you don't give it back
04:06 It's not worthy of you
04:08 That's just my belief. The first time I ever sang yellow ribbon was to welcome home the POWs
04:15 from Vietnam Cambodia Laos
04:17 1973 I got a call from Bob Hope
04:20 To come to the Cotton Bowl and sing that song now. I can tell you that the song was only out for about a month
04:26 Wasn't the number one record yet?
04:28 But he had this instinct and he knew and so we opened a show for him to welcome those POWs home
04:34 changed my life I
04:38 Remember
04:40 singing this song
04:42 50,000 people sing in the chorus tie a yellow ribbon
04:45 500 plus the bravest men I ever faced at that time in my life our POWs from Vietnam Cambodia lies
04:53 Their eyes hadn't even adjusted to daylight yet. They were tortured terribly
04:58 And I remember there was one
05:00 POW
05:02 That wasn't clapping and wasn't singing and he was looking at his shoes
05:07 Sadly
05:10 Was driving me crazy
05:12 So I went to Bob Hope. I said, did you see that?
05:14 POW did you did I say anything to upset him? He's a go ask him Tony
05:21 So I walk up to this gentleman and I said sir. I thank you for your service. I said
05:28 Welcome home
05:31 My name is Tony Orlando, I sang that song tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree
05:36 You were the only one not clapping your hands
05:39 Looking down. Did I say anything to upset you? He said Oh
05:42 Tony let me introduce myself to you. My name is John McCain
05:48 They pulled my shoulder out of sockets. Then they broke my wrists in prison. I
05:54 Couldn't clap my hands. But what you didn't realize was I was looking down at my big toe keeping time to your song
06:02 Moments like that
06:07 Make you realize what a blessing a career area is in our business
06:13 The awards you get end up as doorstops
06:16 Basically and
06:20 They end up with things in your closet that people go. When did you get that one?
06:24 But those wonderful pieces that you can contribute to that's really the award is to give I
06:32 Started auditioning by going to the Brill building
06:37 top floor
06:39 Walking my way down in any office that said record company on it
06:43 I would walk in and play my guitar and sing my song. I
06:46 Kept going going no one signed me. I went across the street
06:51 to a building called
06:53 1650 Broadway, which by the way is the other Brill building and I finally stopped on the sixth floor
07:02 Because someone said the guy in that office knows Bobby Darin and he was my idol the guy they were talking about
07:09 was Don Kirshner I
07:11 Go in and Kirsten says play me a song
07:14 And I play him a song
07:18 And he says I'm gonna introduce you to two new writers I have we're gonna make records together
07:24 And he brings in a young lady 18 year old Carole King
07:28 with her husband Jerry Goffin
07:32 And he says Carol
07:34 Play Tony this song. I do you just wrote I think it'd be great for him and she plays will you still love me tomorrow?
07:40 And I look at Donnie and I go
07:44 You are you saying?
07:47 That's gonna be a record of mine
07:49 That song
07:51 Goes, yeah
07:53 When he says, yeah
07:55 Jerry Goffin her husband said forgive me Tony
07:59 Donnie Tony can't cut this song
08:01 Tony says what do you mean? Why not? He goes Tony. It's a girl song
08:08 Tonight with words unspoken you say that I'm the only one
08:13 But will my heart be broken when the night meets the morning Sun is this a lasting treasure or just a moment's pleasure?
08:19 Can I believe the magic of your size? Will you still love me tomorrow?
08:23 No, fifth 16 year old boy says that to a girl
08:28 And he was right because no male singer
08:31 Ever since the Shirelles record ever had a hit with it and the closest that came was the Bee Gees
08:38 Which is a magnificent version of it. That wasn't released because Barry Gibbs said you know why?
08:44 It's a girl song
08:56 I always knew from a motion picture called singing in the rain with Gene Kelly
08:59 I remember walking out of the RKO theater on 23rd Street and 8th Avenue
09:04 And it was raining that same day
09:14 And I thought to myself I'm the only kid in the neighborhood with one wet left foot
09:20 Because I was doing that dance going all the way home
09:23 I'm singing in the rain, and that's what I knew this is what I want to do my grandfather
09:29 Was the first trumpet player in the Desi Arnaz Orchestra
09:33 And he opened the coconut grove here in New York
09:36 And he was the head of local musicians for Latin musicians here in New York local 802 so it was in my home
09:43 Music was always in my home haven't I been lucky 64 years I?
09:48 also think back I
09:51 Hung out with the Rat Pack. I worked the same stakes of Sinatra. I hung out the sandwich Sammy
09:57 I did the telephone with Jerry. I was there with Dean Martin me
10:02 Really you know when Jerry before Jerry passed away
10:08 Sammy had cancer throat cancer, and they were doing touring together
10:16 Well Sammy couldn't do it anymore, so Jerry called me, and he said would you take Sammy's place you check this out?
10:23 I'm taking Sammy Davis's place
10:27 working with Jerry Lewis and
10:30 Jerry says to me you do realize
10:33 There's only three guys. I ever worked with Dean Sammy and you
10:39 You know I've been so blessed
10:43 So you know 64 years to be able to say?
10:46 No more airlines no more delays is
10:50 Good for me. It's the right time
10:53 What I will miss most of all is
10:56 You the people never lose sight that the people are the people that kept you there the audiences
11:03 That it was never about you. It was always about them, but I you know I think I'm pretty good for 79
11:10 I think I'm still thinking clearly. I think this business has kept me young
11:15 Because you have to keep up with things and it keeps you young so I got to be careful with this retirement
11:21 I might see you in a year and walk in and go so how you been since last year everything okay?
11:28 What's something that no one knows about you that I'm shy I
11:34 Was always the guy that walked into the party nervous
11:39 That I didn't fit
11:41 But I was always afraid to say the wrong thing
11:46 That I was always too fat
11:49 Not educated. I only I only went to eighth grade in high school that someone might notice it and I found that most
11:57 entertainers are
11:59 Shy it's interesting
12:01 Especially comics they have a dark side to them
12:06 They're sad
12:08 But that's why they laugh
12:10 It's their medicine and they figure well if it's good enough for me to laugh and feel better
12:15 It must be good enough everybody else, but I think my shyness would surprise most people
12:20 I do Saturday nights with Tony Lando on an iconic radio station here in New York City
12:26 WABC but
12:30 because of streaming we streamed to a hundred and seventy three countries and
12:34 Because the records were
12:36 International I have a pretty good audience with that radio show and in New York in our time slot with number one
12:41 so I'm very proud of being part of the
12:45 Radio, so here's a great thing on that radio station is a disc jockey named
12:50 Bruce Morrow if you're from here in New York, you know cousin Bruce II
12:55 1961
12:59 Cousin Bruce II brings a 16 year old Tony Orlando on stage for his first time ever
13:07 Palisades amusement park
13:10 Cousin Bruce II is still on WABC radio
13:15 Started in 1961 when he brought me on stage for the first time at Palisades Park
13:22 Guess who's bringing me out at Mohegan Sun Arena?
13:28 12,000 people will be there
13:30 Bruce Morrow cousin Bruce we will bring me out to my retirement
13:35 Stage the same guy that brought me out at 16 years old cousin Bruce is the only radio
13:42 personality I
13:45 believe
13:47 Truly has conquered
13:50 Theater of the mind
13:53 Because what you see when you hear him is his kindness
13:57 There's a genuineness about cousin Bruce II that you can't buy
14:02 When his I cousins it's me cousin Bruce II. Oh, it's good to see you. Oh, come on. Give me a call. Oh
14:08 that's real and
14:11 He's stuck to the ribs of every New Yorker and anybody who lives in Jersey
14:16 Area knows that heart. I got inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame recently, of course, that's Bruce Springsteen
14:25 Sinatra Whitney Houston Frankie Valley what an honor
14:28 Because I lived in Jersey from when I was 13 years old right up until the television show. So Bruce Springsteen
14:36 Comes walking up to me and he starts singing
14:39 Half of the paradise to me my first record
14:43 1961 I said Bruce
14:45 You know the words to this song
14:50 It was Tony
14:53 You before there was a Beatles before there was a Rolling Stones before there was the temptations before my first hit record
15:01 It was halfway to paradise
15:03 What a humbling thing so now I'm at resorts
15:09 Doing my next to last show
15:12 concert in Atlantic City and of course
15:16 Asbury Park is right there. So who do I have in mind?
15:22 Bruce Springsteen, what is he famous for?
15:24 Three hour shows. What does Tony say to himself? I'm gonna do a three-hour show. What happens?
15:31 laryngitis, I
15:34 Don't know how that guy does it
15:37 But one of the things that I
15:46 Noticed in this beautiful piece that you get to me back there is you'll notice two beautiful black women
15:53 That I've had the pleasure to work with now, here's what a lot of people don't know
16:00 If it wasn't for them, there'd be no me
16:03 Because it was their talent that lifted me
16:08 I'll give you an example if you love the record. I heard it through the grapevine by Marvin Gaye
16:16 It was Marvin Gaye and dawn
16:18 That was the voices on that record
16:21 If you loved shaft by Isaac Hayes and you heard the girls say John shaft
16:26 He's a bad shut your mouth the girl that said that that's Telma Hopkins of dawn
16:32 If you listen to all the four tops records you've ever heard
16:37 It's the four tops and dawn
16:39 So from the moment I stepped on staged
16:44 I
16:45 Stepped into good luck because I had those two women
16:49 singing like they say
16:52 and when I look back I
16:54 Say to myself not only did I work with these two?
16:57 classic singers
16:59 But tell my Hopkins has been the longest-running sitcom actress in history
17:05 She went from our show four years and a variety show Tony Lando and on to roots from roots
17:12 She went to bosom buddies with Tom Hanks from there. She went to give me a break with Nell Carter from there
17:17 She went to family matters with Rachel
17:20 She was aunt Rachel with Urkel remember Urkel for 15 years then are we there yet?
17:25 now she's with a show called dead to me and
17:28 on and on and
17:30 the longest-running sitcom in history I
17:35 sang with
17:37 The one who sang shut your mouth I sang with and the other girl
17:42 Joyce who grew up in Detroit with Diana Ross the Supremes
17:47 Keeps the legacy of Motown alive by being a Supreme
17:51 Every time I think about an idea for a movie the juices start building up I get excited
18:01 Every time I think about a play I might write or song I'm gonna write or new lyric
18:07 so everybody out there who has supported me all these years and
18:12 You know, I see the mail you're worried about me
18:16 wait as
18:18 Al Jolson said you ain't seen nothing yet to hear more of this interview visit our podcast
18:23 Life Minute TV on iTunes and all streaming podcast platforms
18:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]