We Salute The Captain
• Daryl Dragon, the “Captain” half of the hugely successful 1970s duo the Captain & Tennille, died of renal failure on Tuesday, Jan. 1 in Prescott, AZ at the age of 76.
Spokesperson Harlon Boll told Variety that Dragon’s ex-wife, Toni Tennille, “was with him as he took his last breath.” In a statement, Tennille said of Dragon, “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.”
“Love Will Keep Us Together,” the title track from the duo’s 1975 debut album, reached No. 1 in July of 1975 and won the Grammy for Record of the Year at the 1976 Grammy Awards. The last of their big hits, “Do That to Me One More Time,” also hit No. 1 in 1979. In between, the Captain & Tennille reached the top 10 with “Muskrat Love,” “The Way I Want to Touch You,” “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” and “Shop Around.”
Dragon’s “Captain” moniker was said to have been coined by Mike Love during the late ’60s and early ’70s when Dragon was playing keyboards for the Beach Boys; the trademark captain’s hat cemented the persona. The duo also had a variety show that ran for one season (1976-77) on ABC and was followed by a series of annual specials.
Dragon and Tennille were married for 39 years and divorced in 2014. Tennille’s spokesperson said, “they remained in constant contact and were dear friends to the end… Toni has asked that all of Daryl’s many fans remember him as she does, with love and a grateful heart for the music they created together.”
