Dawn

During the 1970s Dawn functioned as the supporting vocal pair behind Tony Orlando and stood among that decade’s leading pop ensembles. Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent, later known as Joyce Vincent-Wilson, formed their partnership in Detroit in the late 1960s. The two built steady careers supplying background vocals, chiefly for Motown, though Hopkins reached her most visible early mark by delivering the spoken line “shut your mouth” on Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft.” Uncertainty surrounds the precise manner in which Dawn first aligned with Orlando and the number of the act’s earliest singles that actually featured Hopkins and Vincent. The initial release issued under the Dawn name, the 1970 single “Candida,” carried lead vocals by Orlando, whose name was omitted from the label because of his employment at a publishing company belonging to a rival label; producers selected the name Dawn after one of their daughters. It is unclear whether Hopkins and Vincent supplied the harmonies on that track or whether other anonymous singers did so, but Orlando later recruited the pair after hearing their demo. In any event, Orlando did not encounter Hopkins and Vincent in person until after the second major success, “Knock Three Times,” had confirmed Dawn’s commercial viability and generated demand for live appearances. The trio continued to accumulate substantial hits, the largest being the 1973 chart-topper “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.” In 1974 the three received their own CBS variety series, which remained on the air through 1976; by then record sales had declined, and Orlando, seeking to address personal matters, announced his retirement in 1977. Dawn attempted to maintain a recording career without him, yet quickly discovered that audiences showed little interest, so the singers pursued separate paths. Vincent-Wilson resumed session work in the Los Angeles area and later recorded with her sister Pam Vincent. Hopkins, having developed an interest in acting during the variety series, became a regular cast member on the sitcoms Bosom Buddies in 1980, Gimme a Break from 1984 to 1987, and Family Matters from 1989 to 1993, along with numerous guest appearances. Beginning in 1988 Dawn reunited with Orlando for several tours and continues to perform regularly at his theater in Branson, MO.