Daryl Dragon, ‘The Captain’ of The Captain & Tennille, Dies At 76 With Tennille By His Side

Daryl Dragon and wife Toni Tennille, who sing as the Captain and Tennille

Daryl Dragon, one half of popular ’70s duo The Captain & Tennille, died Wednesday, his publicist Harlan Boll confirmed to Access. He was 76.

“On behalf of the family and our client, Ms Toni Tennille (who was with him as he took his last breath), I have been asked to notify you that Daryl Dragon of The Captain and Tennille, has passed away,” Boll told Access.

Dragon reportedly suffered from renal failure.

Tenille was by his side as he left the world and also released a statement about her longtime friend, collaborator and ex husband.

“He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him,” Toni Tennille shared in a statement.

Toni Tennille and husband Daryl Dragon, aka The Captain
Toni Tennille and husband Daryl Dragon, aka The Captain, leave the Virginia City, Nev., saloon where they renewed their wedding vows on their 20th anniversary Friday afternoon, Nov. 3, 1995. The Captain and Tennille also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their 1975 Grammy-winning hit, “Love Will Keep Us Together.” (AP Photo/Ira Mark Gostin)

The duo rose to fame in the 70s with songs including, “Muskrat Love,” “Do That to Me One More Time” and “Love Will Keep Us Together.”

Dragon was known for his skills on the keyboard and had an early gig as a backup musician for the Beach Boys. He met Tennille in 1971 when she hired him to play piano for a musical called “Mother Earth.”

They pair tied the knot in 1975, a year after they signed a deal with A&M Records. They remained married until 2013 when they separated and then divorced in 2014. The duo remained closed into their old age.

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