Sugar Sweet: Archies singer Dante enjoys success in variety of careers

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 | 8:21 a.m.

Most people are satisfied with excelling at a single profession during their lifetime.

Ron Dante is a mutli-talented, creative genius whose life is a melange of careers, all of them successful.

Dante and vocalist/songwriter Andy Kim, better known to millions of radio listeners as '60s group The Archies, will perform together Sept. 6 at the Riviera.

The two have been close friends for more than 30 years. They've been touring together for the past three.

When the duo performed the song "Sugar Sugar" for the animated series "The Archie Show" in 1969, it became a defining moment in pop culture.

"Andy was commissioned to write a song for the series and he came up with 'Sugar, Sugar,'" Dante said during a recent telephone interview from Los Angeles. "I was the lead voice. It sold over eight million records and was number one worldwide on the Billboard chart."

Besides being a successful recording artist, Dante is well known in the advertising industry for being the voice in thousands of commercial jingles, including "You Deserve A Break Today" for McDonald's.

His voice has also been heard in spots for Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Budweiser and dozens of other well-known products. He has several Clio awards for best TV commercial spots, including Pan Am (1970) and Lifesavers (1978).

"Early in my career I became a studio jingle singer," Dante, 58, said. "I had the tenor spot in the jingle 'I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke.' I do some of my commercials in my act, to refresh everyone's memory."

Theater-goers know Dante for his work on Broadway. He produced "Ain't Misbehavin'," which earned him a Tony for best musical in 1978, and "Children of A Lesser God," which took the Tony for best drama in 1980.

Dante also co-produced the plays "Whose Life is it Anyway?" (1981), "Duet for One," (1981) and "Crimes Of The Heart" (1986).

While he has a roomful of platinum albums and Grammy, Clio and Tony awards, Dante is probably best known for his work as a producer for such recording artists as Cher, Dionne Warwick, Pat Benatar, Irene Cara, Ray Charles and John Denver. And, most notably, Barry Manilow.

"I actually discovered Barry in 1973," Dante recalled. "At the time he was a piano player behind Bette Midler."

Manilow also had a second career going at the time, a jingle writer for such products as Dr. Pepper, Band-Aids, McDonald's and State Farm Insurance.

Dante and Manilow were filming a commercial together when Dante saw something special in his associate.

"He let me listen to some of his songs, like 'Could it be Magic,'" recalled Dante, who already had a successful recording career.

Dante liked what he heard, and became Manilow's producer for the next nine years.

"I knew I could make him a star, so I took him in," Dante said. "We had the greatest run of hits of almost any recording artist."

It's hard to argue. Among Manilow's top recordings during this period were "Could It Be Magic," "I Write The Songs," "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana (At The Copa)," "Somewhere In The Night" and "Ships."

"During one six-year period we never left the top-10 singles charts," Dante recalled.

He said he and Manilow parted ways on friendly terms.

"We're still very good friends," Dante said. "I even helped him on his last album, 'At the Mayflower.'

"We just decided to end the business relationship because we wanted to quit at the top of our game. He wanted to perform less, do Broadway shows. He had spent the entire time of our partnership on the road and in the studios."

The last thing they collaborated on during that phase of their career was 1980's "I Made it Through the Rain."

The main thrust of Dante's career today is producing young, up-and-coming artists.

"I love developing new talent," Dante said. "I want to develop the new Britney Spears or 'N Sync."

He sandwiches his concert dates, 30 or 40 a year, in between his producing chores.

"A lot of the dates are on weekends," Dante said. "Through the week, I come back to L.A. to produce my up-and-comers."

Sometimes his engagements are solo, and sometimes they are with Kim.

He also continues to be involved with Broadway.

"We're working on a new musical, a version Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.' " Dante said. "It will be ready in a year and a half."

With all of his other activities, Dante doesn't need the stress of performing in concert, but he says he loves to perform, and it is important to him.

"I will do this 'til I don't have the energy," he said. "I just love meeting the people, I love to sing and perform."

Dante's most recent performance in Las Vegas was last New Year's Eve, when he and Kim shared billing with Fabian and Gary Lewis.

He says within the next year or so he will to move to Vegas and make it the base of his operations.

"I have good friends there who want to help me develop a lot of ideas I have for Vegas," Dante said.