Zeppelin to Elton: John Ford Coley recalls career, England Dan, before Naples concert

A classically trained pianist, he's opened for everyone from Led Zeppelin to Three Dog Night and began as a jazz fusion musician.

Yet most know John Ford Coley as one half of the smooth, or yacht, rock duo with fellow Texan England Dan, or Danny Wayland Seals. Together, the duo churned out hits in the 1970s including "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and "Love is the Answer."

Coley discussed his musical partner, 50-year career and more before he performs two shows Feb. 22 at TheatreZone in Naples.

Opening for Led Zeppelin

Coley and Seals both grew up in Dallas and eventually began performing together. They formed a psychedelic rock band called Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board) and had a hit, "Smell Of Incense."

The band became popular in Texas, especially, and opened for bands including Three Dog Night, Paul Revere & the Raiders and even Led Zeppelin.

“We went down to Houston and played with them and came up the next day and played with them in Dallas," Coley said of Zeppelin.

Unfortunately, Zeppelin band members kept to themselves and he never did meet them.

But he did become friends with many other bands including members of Three Dog Night, who were in their heyday in the early '70s with hits like "Joy to the World," "Black and White" and "Old-Fashioned Love Song."

Coley also recalled the time they played with Elton John, whose audience that night was unhappy with the British pop icon because he didn't play "Border Song" on the tour promoting his then-newly released 1971 album "Madman Across The Water."

“He said, 'I’m tired of it. I’ll pick it up again,' ” Coley remembered Elton John telling him.

England Dan and John Ford hit the big time

England Dan and John Ford Coley moved to Los Angeles, recording two albums including a 1971 hit, "Simone," that was a hit in other countries including Japan but not in the U.S. A&M Records released them.

The duo continued to perform and eventually struck pop-rock gold in 1976 when they recorded "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight," written by singer-songwriter and Mississippi native Parker McGee. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and made it to No. 1 on Billboard's Easy Listening Chart.

Their follow-up hit, "Nights Are Forever Without You," was another chart-topper. The pair would continue recording together for a few more years, with other hits including "Love Is The Answer" and "We'll Never Have To Say."

A few more hits followed, including "In It For Love," and the duo split in 1980 after each had embraced the Baháʼí Faith. Coley would return to Christianity in later years.

Final conversation with England Dan

Coley called it a "hard split" when they broke up, met up again in 1983 then did not talk to Seals until years later, after he was diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Their final conversation was in 2009.

"The night before Dan passed away, I had been trying to get a hold of him," Coley said. "And Dan called me and it was just Dan and John."

What can Naples audience expect at John Ford Coley show

The concert will include the hits, he said, and he'll also share some interesting stories from the music business.

“I love to hear people laugh," he added.

And audiences often are surprised to hear him play Bach or Beethoven on the keyboard, he said, adding: "People are going, the boy can actually play!”

Coley also will remind those attending that songs he'll play may bring back memories of a long-ago romance.

“I normally tell people that the chances are pretty good that the person that came with you tonight may not necessarily be thinking about you with one of these songs," he said.

'It was a much freer time'

Coley remembered the '70s as unique, especially for musicians.

"We didn't have the incumbrances of families and big jobs," he said. "It was just a much freer time so you have much more great memories built around it.”

It also was a special era musically, some would argue the golden decade of pop and rock.

“Everybody just came out and did what they did," he said. "It was an exciting time. It was really a magical time, it truly was. What was the most captivating to all of that was the melodies.”

Reflecting on his career, Coley said early on he used rejection letters as motivation and pasted them on the wall.

"I‘d say, 'Yeah, just watch this.' Persistence rally pays off," he said. "You’re driven and you keep going."

What to know

Where: TheatreZone, 13275 Livingston Road

When: 4 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22

Cost: $50-$85

Information: theatre.zone or 888-966-3352, ext. 1

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter and on X (formerly Twitter) @NDN_dosborn.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Zeppelin to Elton: John Ford Coley talks career, England Dan, more