Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon were not yet married when “Love Will Keep Us Together” rose up the charts to become the first of the duo’s two #1 hits. They made their arrangement legal, however, in November 1975 and went on to become the must successful husband-and-wife duo since the aforementioned Bonos, notching seven top-10 singles in the subsequent five years, including “The Way I Want To Touch You,” “You Never Done It Like That” and “Do That To Me One More Time.” Between the titles of those hit songs, their evident fondness for each other and their irresistible image—she with the shiny hair and perfect teeth, and he with a captain’s hat that spoke of limitless nautical possibilities—the Captain and Tennille made marriage look and sound kind of sexy, of all things.
It is well worth taking note of the rarity of that accomplishment. Several other prominent pop groups in the last 50 years have consisted of or included married couples—ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, the Mamas and the Papas and Ike and Tina Turner come to mind. Add to that list one more group, the Starland Vocal Band (of “Afternoon Delight” fame), and you’ve got seven divorces out of seven marriages right there.
Speaking of divorces, Dragon and Tennille did end up divorcing in 2014. Dragon died in January 2019
