Tony Middleton

Who is Tony Middleton?

Tony Middleton was born June 26, 1934. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, he moved to New York with his mother in the mid-1950s. Although he participated in various sports through the years, he was always involved in music as well. In 1952 he became the lead singer of the 5 Willows; in 1956 they had a hit record, "Church Bells May Ring". He left the group for a solo career in 1957. After recording for several years without chart success, he moved to Paris in 1962, where he acquired a large following. Middleton returned to New York and recorded for several more labels over the next decade, including A&M, Columbia, Scepter, MGM and ABC/Paramount, for whom he cut the powerful "You Spoiled My Reputation" in 1965. He is featured singing lead on several records by Burt Bacharach, including "My Little Red Book" and " I Come To You". He also sang on recordings by other artists including Smokey Robinson, Della Reese and Nell Carter. Later he returned to the Willows and toured with them for a decade on the oldies circuit. Although Tony Middleton did not have major solo success, he has been cited as an influence on many younger vocalists.