Orlando chats about his retirement
Last month, legendary icon Tony Orlando played his final sold-out show in Las Vegas this week after 51 years as a Las Vegas headliner and now at the renowned South Point Casino.
In 1973, the crooner began topping the bill in Las Vegas at the famed Riviera Hotel showroom and soon after began headlining the esteemed and historic Las Vegas Hilton. During his early explosive period performing in the entertainment capital, he headlined most of the city’s legendary venues such as Caesar’s Palace, The Mirage, and The Desert Inn — and continued an amazing twenty-five years of residencies in all of Michael Gaughan’s venues, including his hugely successful South Point Casino showroom.
On March 22nd, Orlando will bring an end to his long and illustrious 62-year live concert performing career at Mohegan Sun’s 10,000-seat arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Amazingly, this will mark his 65th appearance over 23 years at the venue.
“I am so honored that my last concert will be at my favorite venue on Earth, Mohegan Sun Arena,” Orlando says. “My relationship with Tom Cantone, the stage crews, and the staff at Mohegan Sun Arena has been flawless. I also want to thank all my friends within the Mohegan Tribe for making me feel like family and for the opportunity to say goodbye. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”
Throughout February and March, Orlando will play a handful of farewell North American stops, hitting Niagara Falls, Ontario on February 27th and 28th, along with playing a pair of Illinois shows in Des Plaines on March 2nd and St. Charles on March 3rd — as well as a poignant East Coast date in Atlantic City, New Jersey on March 16th.
Tony Orlando – a 60-plus-year hitmaker and standing-room-only live draw — was recently honored as a New Jersey Hall Of Fame Inductee and remains a relentless supporter of American veterans. Orlando is a Grammy-nominated artist with a whopping 15 Top 40 hits, two platinum albums, three gold albums, and millions of copies sold. “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” was the No. 1 Billboard Song of the Year for 1973 and went on to become the theme song for Tony Orlando and an anthem for hope, reunion, and renewal in America.
Orlando is a recipient of two American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award for Best Male Entertainer. He is the 2016 recipient of the Casino Entertainer Of The Year award and the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Congressional Medal Of Honor Society, honoring his tireless efforts on behalf of our nation’s veterans.
In 1990, Tony was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame to commemorate his outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry. He was also inducted into Mohegan Sun’s Walk Of Fame in 2010.
Orlando will continue hosting his beloved hit radio program Saturday Nights with Tony Orlando on 77 WABC Music Radio (Red Apple Media, Inc.), which airs in New York, as well as reaching New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Orlando will naturally continue engaging in a multitude of ongoing projects – including a new film and multimedia company, Tony Orlando Productions.
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