Halfway to Paradise

Forever guaranteed a spot in pop culture history thanks to the 1973 anthem, ""Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,"" singer Tony Orlando attempts to present a more three-dimensional portrait of his life in this often sentimental, occasionally dishy autobiography. From his New York childhood, to his short-lived career as a teen idol in the 1960s, to his 1970s variety show with backup group Dawn, one thing remains clear: Orlando is obsessed with show business and star-struck by celebrities. He rhapsodizes about the ""superstar essence"" of everyone from Connie Francis to Muhammad Ali (and regrets that he himself ""never had it""). After meeting Minnie Pearl, Orlando writes, she ""became part of my being."" The book's final third gets darker as Orlando describes his cocaine addiction and friendship with the troubled comedian Freddie Prinze. While probably only true Orlando fans will enjoy reading about the minutia of the singer's career, there's still enough to keep True Hollywood Story addicts interested: drugs, suicide, a mental hospital, infidelity, divorce and a happy ending-in Branson, Missouri, no less-to top it all off. One 16-page b&w photo insert.