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Just saw this...
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http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/#ixzz0e3hyGMcC

Daryl Dragon of the Captain & Tennille Fighting Parkinson's Disease

We'll have to admit we missed this rather sobering news last year.  Back in August, Toni Tennille posted on the Captain and Tennille's website that husband Daryl Dragon has been diagnosed as having Parkinson's Disease.

At the time, she wrote:

He does have Parkinson's. It is a very slow progressing type..... more emphasis on the tremor and less on the rigidity, stiffness and bradykenisia (slow movements).

It was extremely sobering to both of us to hear the diagnosis that we had suspected (in the back of our minds) spoken firmly and confidently.... no p*ssy-footing around with Dr. Shill, and Daryl and I appreciated her frankness and kindness.

She explained that there are medications that mostly control the tremor, but don't have much effect on the rigidity and stiffness, which Daryl is experiencing on his left side... .leg and hand. Then there are other medications that can control the rigidity and stiffness, but don't have much effect on the tremor. She suggested that, since Daryl's main problem is the tremor, she wants him to start on Amantadine, which can work very well for tremor with few side effects. He has already tried the Beta Blocker-type meds and didn't react well to them.

She wrote a prescription for Daryl, but doesn't want him to start it until he checks with his ophthalmologist to see if it would interfere with his eye problems. If Daryl gets an okay from the ophthalmologist, he will start taking the Amantadine every morning for four days, and then take it morning and noon every day. UPDATE - Nov. 2009 - Dropped Amantadine, and now experimenting w/ Levadopa / Sinemet.

Dr. Shill assured Daryl that his symptoms can be treated. It will be up to him how far he wants to go. She said he will not die of Parkinson's, that he can safely continue to drive, that his intellectual faculties will not be affected.

It is not what we had hoped for, but at least we now know, and it explains so much. Daryl is processing his diagnosis, and he is depressed a bit, but is reacting better than I thought he would. I think he was kind of relieved to finally have the answer to what is really causing his physical problems.

My thoughts are with Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. A few years ago my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. The medication does help to an extent, but it is a progressive disease and obviously you lose the ability to do certain things that you took for granted. The Captain is younger than my Dad, so I hope the advances in medication and therapy help him to continue to lead a happy and productive life.

He's a good guy and was very kind to do an email interview with me once.

Sad. Regards to the Captain and wife, truly two of the unsung in the B.B.'s saga.

How strangely odd timing, at least for me, that I posted this under the Jack Reiley thread just 2 days before this news.
Dave in KC
Smiley Smile Associate

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     Re: Jack Reiley
« Reply #39 on: January 27, 2010, 06:15:12 PM »   

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JR also added Daryl D. and Toni T. and they fit in very well. I can remember people asking each other "who is the lady" as the concert started at Pine Knob in September 1972. The stage was VERY populated at that show. Even Jack was running around right before the music started. The energy was high level pre-show versus others I saw in the early 70's.

That's too bad, I always liked him. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Well, actually Daryl was around way before Jack...he started playing with them on the "Wild Honey" tour (fall '67).  Interestingly, it was his older brother Doug whom Bruce originally wanted in the band (having been classmates with him), but Doug recommended his younger bro Daryl, whom he thought had a better "ear" at picking up complex arrangements.  The following summer, Doug subbed for Daryl on Ed Carter & Mike Kowalski's first tour, and at some points all three Dragon brothers were in the band, according to Daryl.

Besides Denny's early 70's songs, how much did he play on BB sessions? In the "You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone" tv appearance he is playing piano. Did he actually play on the track? Somebody here must know.

And love WILL keep us together!

There's a photo of Carl & DD from the Surf's Up sessions, sitting on chairs in the studio playing guitars (maybe Daryl was playing bass)... and of course he played on "Make It Good" and "Cuddle Up", for sure.

Yep, that's a Fender bass that DD is playing in that photo.  Per Desper, Daryl played bass (and tack piano) on "Student Demonstration Time".  Daryl also played (keyboards and/or vibes, according to the AFM contracts and/or Desper's recollections) on "This Whole World", "Forever", "Deirdre", "Tears In The Morning", "Don't Go Near The Water", "'Til I Die", and probably most of the "Holland" album (per his innver sleeve "thank you").  All THREE Dragon brothers were on the session for "Got To Know The Woman".  I've seen all the AFM contracts for the "So Tough" sessions, and he's not on the one for "Mess Of Help", but of course names were sometimes accidentally omitted, so we can't swear by them.  He led the string section overdubs for "Make It Good" and "Cuddle Up".  By his own omission, he virtually co-produced much of the "Sunflower" album.

And of course, he also composed the tag to "Don't Go Near The Water".

Yeah, I think he probably had a LOT to do with that song...Desper recalls that Daryl played the bass & rhythm guitars on that track, while Al actually told a fan some years back that Daryl co-produced that one with him.

Sad to hear....always like his music...thoughts go out to him and his family....

Did he? wow. I love that tag, but i just assumed it was Al..... Learn something new everyday  :-D