Daryl Dragon, aka the Captain who partnered with then-wife Toni Tennille in the popular music group Captain & Tennille, has died.
Dragon died Wednesday of renal failure at a hospice in Prescott, Arizona, a spokesman told The Associated Press. He was 76.
Tennille was by Dragon's side at the time of his death.
In a statement, Tennille described Dragon as a “brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly.”
“I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him,” she said.
Dragon — a keyboard player who memorably wore a sea captain hat — teamed up with Tennille on a string of hits in the 1970s, including versions of “Love Will Keep Us Together” and “Muskrat Love.” They also headlined their own weekly variety show in 1976-1977.
The former couple tied the knot in November 1974 — clearing up confusion in the process.
“We were living together ... and everybody thought we were married but we weren't,” Tennille recalled to TODAY in a 2016 interview.
Tennille, 78, said of their marriage, “I loved him with all my heart. But what I was projecting on him was something he could never be and I didn't know that at the time.”
Dragon and Tennille were married for nearly 40 years before splitting in 2014.
Prior to achieving success as a member of Captain & Tennille, Dragon played keyboards for the Beach Boys.