Tony Orlando and Me

“You are coming with me,” my daughter insisted as she made plans to attend a Tony Orlando concert at Epcot. It wasn’t that she is a fan of the singer, or even knows much about him. Her reason for wanting to go was that over the years, people have often told me that I look like Tony. She wanted to see us together. I admit that I wasn’t especially excited about going. Fifty years ago, my wife and I heard him perform at the Minnesota State Fair while on our honeymoon, so I do have a nostalgic connection other than the look-alike thing. However, his hit songs, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” and “Knock Three Times,” while catchy, are not in my personal Top 40, and never were. When I got in line for the concert, my excitement level did not increase because I found myself surrounded by old people with walkers or riding electric scooters. Don’t get me wrong, I think these are fine modes of transportation for those who need them, but this is my birthday week, and I want to live with the illusion that my generation is much younger.

I was surprised that the concert turned out to be fun. Tony Orlando made it fun by interacting with the audience and enjoying them as much as they enjoyed him. A man in the audience came dressed as a convict and was asked to stand while we sang, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon.” If you have to ask why, as my daughter did, you probably don’t use a walker. The father of Joey Fatone (of the band NSync) was in the audience and Tony asked him to join him in singing a few doo-wop tunes.

Do I still look like Tony? No, he and I have aged in different directions, but there was a time when we did.

Whom would you like to resemble? In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul tells us that when Moses would come down from the mountain after his rendezvous with God, his face would shine so brightly that he needed to wear a veil to keep from blinding people. Spending time with God made Moses reflect the image of God, and the same can happen to you.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate [or reflect] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

Looking like Tony Orlando had its fun moments. When people “recognized” me, I would sing the line, “Tie a yellow ribbon…” and they would stop me before I could finish. I would tell them, “I’m not Tony, I’m Don.” (Again, you probably need a walker to understand that one.) We used to look alike, now we don’t. Today, I would much prefer to be mistaken for Jesus. It has happened, but not in a while. As I age, my desire is to resemble Jesus more and Tony less.