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In 1984, singer Toni Tennille took a big chance with her career. As she expresses it, she was simply "going back to her roots." Those musical roots came from her father, Frank Tennille, who sang and recorded (often under the name, "Clark Randall") with Ben Pollack's legendary big band, and with its successor, led by Bob Crosby. In the years 1984-1986, Toni recorded two big band albums which contained some of the most famous, classic jazz standards ever written. (At Auburn University in Alabama, she earned her way through college by singing the great standards of the '30's and '40's backed by Auburn University's big band). This "chance" that Toni took with her career has definitely paid off. Radio stations around the country continue to play her beautiful renditions of these timeless songs, and Toni travels the country singing the great standards with symphony orchestras and big bands. Since 1984, Toni has become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed symphony guest artists in the U.S. and Canada. She performs with 8 to 10 symphony orchestras a year, including those of Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Edmonton, Alberta, Can. She is also a favorite guest artist of the United States Air Force Symphony Orchestra and Airmen of Note.
Her first two masterful albums, MORE THAN YOU KNOW and ALL OF ME, were conceived by Toni and then finely tuned with the invaluable assistance of Count Basie's musical arranger/orchestrator, Mr. Sammy Nestico. Both albums were critically praised by Billboard, The Los Angeles Times, Cashbox, The Chicago Tribune, People and Us magazine, which noted, "Tennille sings these classics in a beautifully breathy style reminiscent of jazz divas Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, her idols."
In 1991 she released a third album, a sampling of classic jazz ballads entitled NEVER LET ME GO, which Billboard Magazine noted, "She exudes vocal confidence and proves that her rich alto was made for this material." Her latest release is a collection of upbeat swinging standards called THINGS ARE SWINGIN', which she recorded with an exciting young big band led by arranger / musician Matt Catingub. Toni says, "Matt Catingub is one of the most brilliant and exciting young musicians I have ever met. My husband, Daryl (The Captain), first brought him to my attention, and we've worked together ever since. We did this album, live, with Matt's big band, and I don't think I've ever had more fun in a recording studio."
Tennille, who studied classical piano for ten years (and continues to study today) is also a gifted pop songwriter, penning the million selling hit songs, DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME and THE WAY I WANT TO TOUCH YOU. Her writing, in conjunction with her dynamic stage presence, has established her as a pop legend, landing her on the pop charts 14 times as half of the husband and wife duo, Captain & Tennille. The twosome remain one of the top 5 duos in the past 15 years, as music expert Casey Kasem recently noted. Toni and her husband, Daryl, also starred in the CAPTAIN & TENNILLE VARIETY SHOW on ABC television, as well as a series of highly rated television specials for the same network. In 1980, Toni hosted the syndicated TONI TENNILLE VARIETY TALK SHOW. In 1995, the Captain & Tennille released a collection of their hit singles along with other romantic ballads from the last two decades. The release of "Captain & Tennille - 20 Years of Romance" also happened to coincide with their 20th wedding anniversary.
In recent years, Toni has become an even more versatile performer. In 1992 she starred in the Los Angeles production of the musical, STARDUST, for which she received outstanding reviews from virtually every major publication and trade magazine.
Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon, happily married since 1975, have been living quietly in northern Nevada since they moved there from Los Angeles in 1984. Always a supporter of the performing arts, Tennille was recently named AMBASSADOR FOR THE ARTS for the state of Nevada by Governor Bob Miller.
Whether touring with her husband as Captain & Tennille, singing with a 40's style big band, or performing with some of the finest symphony orchestras in North America, her undisputed versatility confirms TONI TENNILLE as the "complete singer/entertainer".
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