Florida’s Best Loved Cabaret Couple
Tony and Gloria are a much loved, and revered cabaret husband and wife team that have been a greatly loved fixture within the gay community for many years. The Agenda caught up with them to find out how they stay relevant and why they love working in the community.
You have had amazing careers, please tell the Agenda readers a bit about your backgrounds.
Tony and I have both had long careers in different musical backgrounds. Tony started in jazz playing with big bands touring the country and small Jazz ensembles in NYC. Gloria started in the church singing with her sisters and moved on to pop and contemporary and Jazz since working with Tony.
What brought you and kept you here?
We moved here after a few years working in Key West along with many of our friends. We’ve stayed because we feel comfortable and safe.
You have remained ever popular here in Wilton Manors. How do you maintain your following?
By trying to always expand our repertoire and please our audience.
What would you say has been the highlight of your time here?
Meeting and becoming close friends with the great composer Murray Grand. Guess Who I Saw Today? is his most well-known composition, but he has composed over 800 songs
Any cringe moments?
Sure, when we’re playing outdoors at Festivals and it starts to lightning.
If you weren’t doing your act what would you do instead?
Gloria would draw and paint and Tony would teach guitar and play and practice and play and practice.
You clearly support the gay community. How do you feel you help the community?
We have played and volunteered at numerous events and charity functions here and in Key West.
How do you feel attitudes towards the community are changing?
We are seeing a more diverse audience from the US and all over the world.
What are the advantages of working within the gay community?
We love that people here appreciate and are enthusiastic about music, culture and the arts.
What disadvantages do you feel there are here?
It’s starting to become expensive.
What do you have planned for the future? What exciting things can we look forward to from you both
?
We are in the process of working on a new CD of all original material; Gloria is preparing for a show of her artwork.
Tony & Gloria’s Weekly Live Schedule: Thursdays and Saturdays from 7-11 at Tropics, Friday 6-9 at Dudes, Sundays 5-7 at Lips.
Tony and Gloria are the absolute BEST! I spent a few days with Gloria and Tony a couple of months ago and had the pleasure of going to the clubs with them. I am not a ‘club’ goer, so I didn’t know what to expect. But, much to my THRILL, it was everything they told me it would be – and more! The relaxed confidence of the people was contagious! Everybody went out of their way to make sure we had a great time. People were kind, and as Mark Twain once said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can read.” I cannot wait to go back down and “hit the spots” like Tropics, Dudes, and Lips! I had a Ball (pun intended!)
Cynthia
Tony & Gloria are the best. I visit Fort Lauderdale at least twice a year, and I make sure to see them several times while I’m hanging in Wilton Manor. I heard that tonight (May 29) is their last night at Lips. Definitely Lips’ loss.
Riggin
Hi Gloria – would really like to have you entertainment schedule please. Thanks a lot.
As a Singer/Host/MC/Author/Poet I have been a fan of Tony and Gloria from the night I first heard the at Tropics some years back. They are not only a great team together, but are without a drought a fixture in the Wilton Manors and have been a singing together for more years than I can think.
Their musical talent is a joy to behold, they have that certain chemistry that you don’t see in most duet. I am so happy to see that they are all over the place in Wilton Manors and you should so and hear them in any of them.
I love to just to go and see them performer no matter where they are.