Toni
Tennille was born to sing!
Born Cathryn Antoinette Tennille in 1940 in Montgomery, Alabama, Toni
is eldest daughter of Frank Tennille, a former big band singer with
Bob Crosby's band, and Cathryn Tennille, a pioneer television
talk show host. Toni's musical sisters, Jane, Louisa and Melissa,
all sang on the Captain and Tennille variety show, Toni's
1980 Talk Show, as well as on Captain & Tennille albums.
MUSIC - Has Kept Them Together !
1975 Record of the Year Grammy Award winners
for Love Will Keep Us Together, Toni and her husband, Daryl
"The Captain" Dragon, recently celebrated their 35th wedding
anniversary in November 2010. As Captain
& Tennille, the two recorded 9 albums with 14 hits on the
pop charts including Love Will Keep Us Together, Muskrat Love,
Shop Around, Lonely Night Angel Face, and two million-selling
songs that Toni wrote about Daryl, Do That To Me One More Time
and The Way I Want To Touch You.
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TELEVISION
Known for her rich voice, sensual melodies, powerful
stage presence and accessible personality, Tennille's career is as
versatile as it is successful. From 1975 through 1980, she co-starred
with Daryl on the ABC television series The Captain and Tennille
Variety Show, followed by three Captain and Tennille specials
for the network. In 1980, Toni hosted the syndicated Toni Tennille
Variety Talk Show. You can find clips from the variety show and
Toni's talk show on Youtube.
SYMPHONIES
Since
1984 Tennille has had a successful side-career singing classic jazz
and pop standards and performing with top symphony
orchestras and big bands across the US and Canada.
JAZZ
& STANDARDS
Her albums of the great American standards include
Incurably Romantic,
More Than You Know, All
of Me, "Never Let Me Go", Moonglow,
and Tennille Sings Big
Band. Toni's renditions of songs by classic composers like George
Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Johnny
Mercer, Sammy Cahn and more have prompted reviewers to rave
about her powerful voice and dramatic interpretation of lyrics.
One critic's bulls-eye remark regarding Toni's singing: "Tennille's
voice is spicy, soothing and intoxicating,... like hot apple cider
and rum."
THEATRE
In
1998 & 1999 Tennille starred in the First National Tour of
the Broadway musical Victor/Victoria.
In the lead role of Victoria Grant, reviewers said of her performance,
"Contralto Toni Tennille makes "Victor/Victoria"
her own...." - "Tennille glitters, whether she's in a
tux or in sequins. "...Toni Tennille is a strong lead with
a smoldering, velvety voice...."
MUSIC - Has Kept Them Together
!
It was in the summer of 1971, while performing
in a musical she wrote, "Mother Earth", in San
Francisco, that Toni met husband to be, Daryl Dragon who
auditioned for her as a keyboardist. One look, a quick listen and
she hired him on the spot ("because he made me laugh"
she says). Dragon reciprocated by hiring Toni to play keyboards
for the next Beach Boys tour. She was, and has remained,
the one and only ´Beach Girl'. Music lovers also recognize
Toni's voice on Pink Floyd's ´The Wall' and Elton
John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me".
-
Toni studied classical piano for ten years, and sang with Auburn
University's big band, the Auburn Knights, as her father did
before her. She later studied acting at the prestigious South
Coast Repertory Theatre in southern California.
AT HOME
In
2007, Toni and Daryl bought a piece of property in Prescott, Arizona
and built their "last dream house". Prescott is where
they plan to spend the rest of their lives. Toni and her beautiful
Australian Shepherd dog, Smoky, are a Delta Society registered
Therapy Dog team. The two visit patients at Yavapai Regional Medical
Center weekly. Toni says that Prescott, with its natural beauty
and wonderful, friendly people, is a "perfect fit" for
her and Daryl.
Toni says that she sings because she loves to share with others
the music that has brought her so much joy and happiness over the
years.
Toni
Tennille - can be contacted through the email-link appearing
just below... attn:
Frank Draggonnii Enterprises
TONI TENNILLE VIDEO / 1987
" HOW HIGH THE MOON "
This
Page Last Updated:
December 10, 2011
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