Daryl Dragon, Captain of Captain & Tennile, Dead at 76
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
January 3, 2019

Share

NEW YORK — Daryl Dragon, the cap-wearing “Captain” of Captain & Tennille who teamed with then-wife Toni Tennille on such easy listening hits as “Love Will Keep Us Together” and “Muskrat Love,” died Wednesday. He was 76.

“He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him.” — Toni Tennille
Dragon died of renal failure at a hospice in Prescott, Arizona, according to spokesman Harlan Boll. Tennille was by his side.
“He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him,” Tennille said in a statement. Dragon and Tennille divorced in 2014 after nearly 40 years of marriage, but they remained close and Tennille had moved back to Arizona to help care for him.
Dragon and Tennille met in the early 1970s and soon began performing together, with the ever-smiling Tennille singing and the dourer Dragon on keyboards. He would later serve as Captain & Tennille’s producer.
Their breakthrough came in 1975 when they covered the bouncy Neil Sedaka-Howard Greenfield song “Love Will Keep Us Together.”

‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ Topped Charts in Summer of 1975

Sedaka and Greenfield, a top hit-making team in the late 1950s and early 1960s, were nearing the end of their partnership and had written “Love Will Keep Us Together” as an ode to their longtime bond. Sedaka himself recorded the song, released it as a single in France, and included it on his 1974 album “Sedaka’s Back.”
Captain & Tennille’s version, slightly faster and funkier than the original, wasn’t Dragon’s first choice as a single. He had favored a cover of Beach Boy Bruce Johnston’s “I Write the Songs,” which in 1976 became a signature hit for Barry Manilow.
But “Love Will Keep Us Together” topped the charts in the summer of 1975. It won a Grammy for record of the year and not only made Captain & Tennille stars, but helped further revive Sedaka’s career. In October 1975, his single “Bad Blood” hit No. 1.
Sedaka tweeted Wednesday that Dragon was “a great musician, keyboard player and friend for over 40 years. He took ‘Love Will Keep Us Together,’ made it his own with the magic of his playing and her incredible voice.”
Meanwhile, Captain & Tennille — known early on as The Captain & Tennille — followed with a mix of covers such as “Muskrat Love” and “Shop Around” and original songs, including Tennille’s ballad “Do That to Me One More Time,” which hit No. 1 in 1980. They also briefly starred in their own television variety show before their careers faded in the 1980s.
Over the past 30 years, they continued to perform and work together on occasion, with more recent albums including “The Secret of Christmas.”

Dragon Played Keyboards for the Beach Boys

A Los Angeles native, Dragon was the son of Oscar-winning composer Carmen Dragon and singer Eloise Dragon and was himself a classically trained musician. Before he was with Tennille, he played keyboards for the Beach Boys and was dubbed “The Captain” by singer Mike Love, who noted Dragon’s fondness for sea captain’s caps. Tennille briefly worked with the Beach Boys as a backup singer.

“So sad to hear about Daryl Dragon. Daryl was a great guy and a hell of a musician and keyboard player. I feel very bad about this.” — Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson
“So sad to hear about Daryl Dragon,” the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson tweeted Wednesday. “Daryl was a great guy and a hell of a musician and keyboard player. I feel very bad about this.”
In 2016, Tennille published “Toni Tennille: A Memoir,” in which she alleged their marriage was far removed from their cheerful hits. They wed in 1975, but Tennille recalled that their marriage was announced in advance — and to their surprise — by the record company. The couple, which had been living together, made it official in November of that year.
Tennille would allege that the couple suffered from lack of intimacy and blamed it on what she described as Dragon’s “very, very difficult family and “famous but overbearing father.”
“I kept trying and trying and thinking I could bring this man who has so much to give into the light,” she told NBC’s “Today” show in 2016. “I wanted him to experience the joy that I had with my very loving family.”
Dragon is survived by his older brother, Doug Dragon, and two nieces, Kelly Arbout and Renee Henn.

DON'T MISS

New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man

DON'T MISS

Oscar Moments: Talk of War & Peace, a Coronation for Nolan, and Ken-Demonium for Gosling

DON'T MISS

WWE, a Social Media Powerhouse, Tops 100 Million Subscribers on YouTube

DON'T MISS

Dirt-Cheap Gardening Secrets

DON'T MISS

Upcoming Netflix Documentary Series Features Fresno State Profs

DON'T MISS

Eric Carmen, the Raspberries Frontman and ‘All by Myself’ and ‘Hungry Eyes’ Singer, Dies at 74

DON'T MISS

Dirt-Cheap Gardening Secrets

DON'T MISS

Jake Paul Fight Against Mike Tyson Is Announced for July 20 and Will Be Streamed Live on Netflix

DON'T MISS

CMAC Seeks Female Filmmakers for New Documentary Program

DON'T MISS

Sinead O’Connor’s Estate Asks Donald Trump to Stop Playing Her Music at Rallies

No data was found

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

4 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

bitwise /

4 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

environment /

6 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

7 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

7 hours ago

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

7 hours ago

Trump: Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’, There’ll Be a ‘Bloodbath’ if I Lose

8 hours ago

Tech Lawyer and Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Rumored as RFK Jr.’s VP Pick

news /

8 hours ago

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

8 hours ago

Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as Consumers Cut Back on Pandemic-Era Hobbies

9 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

â– Valley Children’s paid CEO Todd Suntrapak $5.2 million in 2021. The hospital also gave him a $5 million forgivable home loan. â– The Va...
Healthcare /

3 hours ago

3 days ago

Realtor Association Settles Lawsuit on Commission Rules. Fresno Broker Fears the End of Market Transparency

3 days ago

Prosecutor Leaves Georgia Election Case Against Trump After Relationship With District Attorney

3 days ago

Rory McIlroy’s 65: 10 Birdies, 2 Tee Shots in the Water, 1 Testy Dispute

3 days ago

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

3 days ago

New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man

3 days ago

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

3 days ago

India’s New Citizenship Law Excludes Muslims. Here’s What to Know

3 days ago

US, G-7 Allies Warn Iran to Back Off Deal to Provide Russia Ballistic Missiles or Face New Sanctions

Photo of San Francisco 49ers' Arik Armstead

3 days ago

Former 49ers DT Arik Armstead Agrees to a 3-Year, $51 Million Deal with the Jaguars, AP Source Says

3 days ago

Supreme Court Rules Public Officials Can Sometimes Be Sued for Blocking Critics on Social Media

Search