Halfway to Paradise

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.