You're Right! Early in 1973, Tony and Dawn cut the single that was to become their all-time classic and the number one single of that year -- "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree." Tie a Yellow Ribbon" was released by Bell in February 1973, and by April it was the number one record in the country. In all, it spent more than five months on the charts and sold more than seven million copies. The song was so popular that over 100 cover versions were cut by other artists, all around the world. When asked to explain the group's secret of success, Tony said, "In our case, we like each other. That's number one. Number two, we have no intentions of breaking up. A lot of groups with a name like Tony Orlando and Down, Dion and the Belmonts, Diana Ross and the Supremes, it's inevitable to think that someday the leader will go off alone. In this case, I don't ever want to break up this group." "The Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow Hour" was canceled on December 28, 1976; the group lasted just seven months more. On July 22, 1977, at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Massachusetts, Tony shocked the crowd -- and his partners -- by announcing his retirement from show business. He suffered a nervous breakdown on stage and spend the next six months in a New York psychiatric hospital. After his release, Tony began to pick up the pieces of his career -- without Dawn. As for "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," the song made a dramatic comeback of its own, eight years after being recorded. The yellow ribbon as a symbol of loyalty was a natural to express the nation's feelings for the 52 American hostages held in Iran, and when they returned after 444 days of captivity on January 20, 1981, the song was played throughout the land as a joyous homecoming theme.