FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Captain and Tennille, the popular 1970s married pop duo that sang of sharing forever and of love keeping them together, are splitting.
Cathryn Antoinette Tennille, better known as “Toni,” has filed in an Arizona court to end her 38-year marriage to Daryl Dragon, or “The Captain.” The two already are listed as ex-husband and ex-wife on their website, which says while their marriage appeared to be rock-solid, “almost all people naturally evolve over time, (and) sometimes hidden feelings start to be uncovered.”
The divorce petition says the couple’s marriage is irretrievably broken. They were married the same year their hit song, “Love Will Keep Us Together,” earned a Grammy award for record of the year in 1975.
Tennille’s attorney declined comment Thursday, and a call to Dragon’s number in Prescott where the couple retired in 2008 went unanswered.
The two have no children.
The divorce petition asks that any community property, debt and obligations be equitably divided. It also states that neither Tennille, 73, nor Dragon, 71, is entitled to or in need of spousal support.
While Tennille has been active in Prescott, voicing over a promotional tourism video for the city in 2011, singing at local spots and training Australian shepherd dogs, Dragon’s health kept him wanting to stay home. Tennille wrote in a blog in 2011 that tremors caused by a neurological condition had made it difficult, if not impossible, for Dragon to play the keyboards and that he was embarrassed to go out in public.
Kim Kapin, a former spokesman for the city of Prescott, said he sought out Tennille and her “killer pipes” for the promotional video. He was surprised to hear back from Tennille’s manager within a week of sending a script, he said.
“Toni was totally prepared and committed to being directed and giving us what we needed,” Kapin said. “Not an ounce of pretentiousness.”
The Captain and Tennille had 14 songs on the pop singles chart, with half of them in the Top 10. Their songs also included “Muskrat Love,” “Do That To Me One More Time,” and “Shop Around.” The duo also briefly hosted a variety show.
Before Tennille left the recording studio in Prescott where she touted the city’s mild climate, roots as the state’s territorial capital and cultural heritage on the video, Kapin asked her to sing a few bars of “Muskrat Love.”
“That’s where she drew the line — with a smile,” Kapin said.
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