Halfway to Paradise
By Tony Orlando; Patsi Bale Cox
(St. Martin's Griffin, Hardcover, 9780312266035, 320pp.)
Publication Date: October 2002
Other Editions of This Title: Paperback
Categories: Composers & Musicians - General, Entertainment & Performing Arts - General, Personal Memoirs
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Singer Tony Orlando is recognized everywhere for his l970s heydey with Dawn, but his career didn't begin with a variety show and a string of #1 pop hits. In the early '60s Tony was a teen idol, with top-selling songs like "Halfway to Paradise." He worked with songwriters like Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and was part of the creative ferment symbolized by the Brill Building in New York and fronted by flamboyant showmen like Murray the K and Don Kirschner. In a rare transition, Tony became a successful music executive before he was lured back onstage in the early '70s. His life as a pop icon was full of contradictions: he was the reliable, squeaky-clean performer who always pleased the crowd, but was plagued by depression and cocaine addiction. His highs were high-and very public-while his lows were low and private: from the constant care required by his beloved sister Rhonda, born with cerebal palsy, to the death of his dearest friend Freddie Prinze.
Tony Orlando stills tours regularly to venues such as The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. When not touring, he performs at his theater in Branson, Missouri.
Patsi Bale-Cox has co-authored several celebrity bios including Jenny Jones, Tanya Tucker and recently Loretta Lynn.
"Everyone 'knows' Tony because 'Tie A Yellow ribbon' became this country's anthem during the seventies. Halfway To Paradise will let readers really get to know Tony -- whose singing career has influenced the entertainment business since the sixties."
-- Dick Clark
"Tony Orlando is magic. You buy a ticket, you sit down, and he makes you feel good. Read this book and you may find the secret to his magic and his philosophy of life...He is a good person too (oops, gave away the secret)."
-- Bill Cosby
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