NYC Radio: 77WABC's Tony Orlando Releases “Timeless: The Big Hits”

Tony Orlando kicks off his sixth decade in music and entertainment with a series of new projects, including the release of “Timeless: The Big Hits” (via Time Life) on March 19.  

“Timeless: The Big Hits” features re-recorded versions of his million-selling songs as well as a bonus track, “America Is My Hometown.” The heartfelt song was co-written by Orlando with multi-GRAMMY Award winner Michael Omartian, who also produced it. Orlando debuted the bonus track on 77 WABC during his weekly radio program, “Saturday Nights with Tony Orlando.” 

77 WABC was also the first station to play Orlando’s debut single in 1961. 

“Saturday Nights with Tony Orlando” airs from 10pm to midnight, is available via livestream and the WABC Mobile App, and has featured interviews with such stars as Lionel Richie, Adam Sandler, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Paul Anka, Frankie Valli, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. to name a few. 

“After six decades of music and entertainment, to still be relevant is so humbling,” says Orlando about his string of new projects which also includes plans for a Broadway show based on his life, “Rooftop Dreams.”

“Tony Orlando is a true icon, one who is beloved across generations, has succeeded in every facet of entertainment and holds a permanent spot in American history,” says Mike Jason, Time Life Senior Vice President, Live Entertainment.  “Time Life is honored to work with Tony on this album, sharing his past, present and future with fans around the world.”

“The response to Tony’s radio show from listeners has been tremendous,” commented Dave LaBrozzi, Senior Vice President of Programming for Red Apple Media and WABC. “Tony is the consummate entertainer and his Saturday night radio program on WABC delivers the music his fans love. He connects with his audience in a very special way, with great stories and interviews with iconic and legendary recording artists and celebrities. We’re excited to be the first station to play the bonus track, “America Is My Hometown."

Only 16 when 77WABC’s legendary DJ Cousin Brucie debuted his first single “Halfway to Paradise” in 1961, Orlando went on to a six-decade career that spanned music, television, and theatre.  He has delivered five #1 Gold singles, three Gold albums, two Platinum albums and a string of hit songs including “Candida,” “Knock Three Times,” “Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose,” “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You),” and his signature song, the anthem of hope and homecoming,  “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,” one of the biggest-selling singles of all time and Billboard Magazine’s #1 song of the year in 1973.

Each of those tracks, as well as many others appear on “Timeless: The Big Hits” along with his single, “America Is My Hometown.” “The size of this country is overwhelming, and I was trying to view it from a small-town point of view where you can keep things simple,” Orlando explains about the inspiration behind the track. “It’s like seeing my brother in Detroit or my sister in San Diego as next-door-neighbors, so you see, America IS my hometown.”

One of the biggest superstars to emerge during the 1970s, Orlando’s music dominated the airwaves and led to his namesake television show Tony Orlando and Dawn on CBS from 1973-1977, the first multiracial group to ever have a primetime network variety program. He was honored with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990, won three American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards for Male Entertainer of the Year, has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, is on Billboard’s list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, starred in two Broadway productions (“Barnum” and “Smokey Joe’s Café”), was named Entertainer of the Year in Las Vegas five times and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards. A longtime supporter of veteran’s causes, Orlando was recipient of the Bob Hope Award for excellence in entertainment from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for his dedication and service to our Armed Forces and Veterans.