Happy Birthday to Former New Mexico Music Commissioner Tony Orlando
Though I still don't know why he ever was a NM Music Commissioner!
Today is an important holiday. Not only is it Good Friday, it’s the birthday of one of my favorite former New Mexico state officials, singer Tony Orlando, who served — or at least was a founding member of — our state Music Commission for almost three years.
Yes, Tony Orlando was a state official between June 2005 — when then. Gov. Bill Richardson formed the commnission — and April 2008. This was during a period when I was covering state government for The Santa Fe New Mexican.
As I wrote in my old music column right after Tony resigned …
“… the appointment of Orlando to the state panel in 2005 was one of the most mysterious appointments of the whole Richardson administration. Orlando doesn’t live in New Mexico. He’s not from New Mexico. He doesn’t play here much, not even the casinos. He’s never recorded any songs by Al Hurricane or Joe West. He hasn’t had a hit in almost 30 years. And, of course, he never attended any commission meetings or did anything to advance New Mexico music as far as anyone could tell.
Still, I’m going to miss the cheap punch lines he often provided me with.
Tony wasn’t the only celebrity who Richardson appointed to that first Music Commission. He also appointed country star Randy Travis and his then-wife Elizabeth Travis to the panel.
The big difference is that the Travises actually lived in Santa Fe at the time and Randy played here sometimes.
It just Dawned on me (Get it? Get it?) that we could use a little music here before we get to some of those cheap punch lines. Here’s my second-favorite cover of a Tony Orlando song, this by a band called The Dick Nixons:
And before we go on, I’ve always had respect for the New Mexico Music Commission. I’m friends with several current commissioners as well as many past commissioners and staff.
My constant poking fun at Commissioner Orlando used to bug then commission executive director Nancy Laflin, (though I suspect she secretly got a kick out of it), but I sincerely admired her work.
Here’s one of my first, from a June 2005 Roundhouse Round-up column:
El Queso Grande: There have been two cheese-related announcements coming out of the governor’s office in the past couple of weeks.
First there was the plans for a whey factory in Clovis that will use byproducts from the nearby cheese factory to make food for piglets.
Second, Richardson appointed ‘70s pop star Tony Orlando to the state Music Commission.
From my old music blog in May 2006:
The Denver Post just ran an article about the New Mexico Music Commission.
But how could they fail to mention the hippest commissioner of all -- Tony Orlando? His contributions to the commission are immeasurable.
Literally.
True, he’s never been to a meeting of the commission. But like the state Web site says, “His love of New Mexico and the people here are reasons he is a member of the Music Commission.”
Another column, this one in December 2006, concerning plans for Richardson’s second inauguration festivities:
Entertainment will be by New Mexico musicians, [a spokeswoman] said, though she wasn’t ready to announce the lineup. I personally was pulling for New Mexico Music Commissioner Tony Orlando. He’s never made it to a Music Commission meeting, so I figure the least he could do would be to sing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” at the inauguration.
Here’s a mention in a May 2007 column about Richardson’s presidential campaign contributions:
There’s one prominent name in music on Richardson’s[campaign] contributor list that will be familiar to fans of indie rock. Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of the influential Seattle label Sub Pop. Sub Pop gave the world Nirvana, and now Poneman gave the governor two contributions totaling $500.
I bet Richardson didn’t tell Poneman he’s a fan of The Eagles.
Popular Hispanic singer Darren Cordova gave Richardson’s campaign $2,300. It’s already been reported that country music star and New Mexico Music Commission member Randy Travis donated $2,300 to Richardson, as did his wife, Elizabeth, also a music commissioner.
However, there’s no record of any contribution from another celebrity music commissioner: Tony Orlando.
This proves you don’t have to contribute to the campaign to get appointed by the governor to the Music Commission. Some would argue that Orlando’s presence proves you can sometimes get an appointment for no apparent reason at all.
Finally here’s an item from my old music blog from April 2008 shortly after Orlando resigned from the commission:
Say it ain’t so, Tony!
Here’s some shocking news from state government: Tony Orlando is no longer a New Mexico music commissioner.
During a recent shake-up on the New Mexico Music Commission, Mr. “Knock Three Times” didn’t see the yellow ribbon ’round the ol’ oak tree, so he stayed on the bus and kept riding. He was one of about a dozen members of the 26-person commission who was replaced at the beginning of the year. Strangely, there was no press release announcing the changes. …
… Here’s the good news: the new commissioners include a gaggle of New Mexicans actually involved in music here. Among them are a couple of Santa Fe folk who have done great work with the community in general as well as with musicians — Ana Gallegos y Reinhardt, the force behind Warehouse 21, and David Lescht, who started the Outside In, which has brought good music to nursing homes and hospitals and provided guitar lessons to kids in jail.
One drawback with Gallegos y Reinhardt and Lescht: neither ever hosted a weekly variety show in the ’70s on national TV. But with a little encouragement, I’ll bet they can overcome this handicap.
So happy birthday, former Commissioner Orlando and thank you for all your hard work.
Let’s end with my very favorite Tony Orlando cover. The former commissioner recorded this tune, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, in the pre-Dawn year of 1961. But I like The Devil Dogs’ version even more: