Tony Orlando describes his first concert of 2024 as “a party with 1,600 guests” sharing favorite music and memories.

Orlando’s first concert of the new year is at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 at Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino and Hotel in New Buffalo.

“I’ve done so much during my six decade career, that now, sharing memories with fans is part of the fun,” said Orlando, speaking from his Los Angeles home in December.

“For many audiences, they know me from seeing me on television just as much as they do from my music and live concerts.”

Orlando was last in Chicagoland in May, paired with Las Vegas pal Wayne Newton for a double headliner show at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary.

It was Orlando’s popular CBS-TV variety show of yesteryear, sharing jokes, banter, skits and songs with backup singers Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent, billed as the singing duo Dawn, which catapulted the trio as household names. The series aired from 1974 to ’76.

“I was this 20-something kid when I first got our TV show, and the network producers didn’t take any of us all that seriously at first,” said Orlando, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in April.

“I remember I wanted to suggest names of those I really wanted to have as our weekly guest stars. The guy I really wanted was someone the producers didn’t want. I grew up idolizing the comedian Jerry Lewis, and I really wanted to have him as our TV guest. But producers said he would be too difficult to work with. After our TV ratings did well, I finally got more input, and they agreed to get him as a guest star. He was great.”

Years later, Orlando said Lewis selected him as one of his annual co-hosts for his Labor Day telethon.

“As a 12-year-old kid, I still recall how I’d save my pennies in a jar to raise money to donate to Jerry Lewis and his telethon,” Orlando said.

“There was never a time that I thought I’d ever one day call this legendary talent my friend. But dreams do come true.”

Orlando promises he will be performing all of his timeless tunes including “Tie a Yellow Ribbon,” “Knock Three Times” and “Sweet Gypsy Rose.”

He said he thanks Bob Hope for helping him unveil his first live performance of “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” back in 1973 at a concert in Dallas for returning prisoners of war.

“Bob Hope asked me to perform ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon’ at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas when he was hosting an event to welcome home returning POWs at that 75,000 seat stadium in June 1973,” Orlando recalled.

“I hadn’t even scored big with that song as a hit yet. But the tradition of yellow ribbons tied and in place a symbol to welcome home troops was already a long-standing practice.”

Orlando said 20 years later, after he opened his Yellow Ribbon Theater in Branson, Missouri, he called his old pal Bob Hope to help him launch an idea to do a series of Christmas shows.

“Before I arrived in Branson, along with Mr. Christmas Andy Williams, and the Osmond Family, all with our own theaters, the city of Branson would traditionally close up during the winter months,” Orlando said.

“Much of what dictated the schedule in Branson was based on the Silver Dollar City theme park, owned by the Herschend family. And they traditionally closed down their theme park after the summer.”

When Orlando told the Herschend family his idea teamed with Williams and the Osmonds to each fill their 2,000-seat theaters for a string of weeks of special Christmas concerts, he said the Silver Dollar City management team was reluctant to predict any success.

“That’s when I called Bob Hope and asked if he and his wife Delores would come down to Branson and help launch the show run, and I suggested we would invite all veterans to be in the first audiences,” Orlando said.

“First Bob and Dolores asked where Branson was, and then later agreed, with the stipulation that Bob could bring all of his comedy VHS tapes and merchandise to sell in the lobby of the theaters.

“Not only was the idea a success and the Christmas shows then became a tradition continued for 26 years, but that first year when Bob brought a semi-truck load of his merchandise to sell, and later told me to donate all of the money raised to any veterans’ organization of my choice. That’s the spirit of Bob Hope that still lives on in me during the holidays and throughout the year.”

Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.