Tony Booth

Country singer, songwriter, and guitarist Tony Booth spent his childhood in Tampa before establishing his professional path in the Southwest. His entry into the music business came through the Mel Savage Band, after which he soon joined tours alongside Jimmy Snyder. By 1968 he had formed Modern Country and secured engagements in Las Vegas, later shifting the ensemble to California club work. He rebranded the outfit the Tony Booth Band, which served as the resident group at the Palomino. Booth’s debut single, “Big Lonely World,” appeared on K-Ark, and he moved to MGM in 1970, where a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Irma Thompson” became his first chart success.

Momentum built sharply in 1972 with three Top 20 singles, one of which was “The Key’s in the Mailbox.” Five additional hits followed in 1973, among them a version of Doris Day’s “Secret Love” and “When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way I Love You).” Activity slowed thereafter, yielding only three minor entries in 1974. After a pair of unsuccessful releases, Capitol ended the contract in 1975. Booth resurfaced two years later with the United Artists single “Letting Go,” which failed to register on the charts. Throughout the 1990s he performed as a member of Gene Watson’s band.