Irwin Jesse Levine; Co-Wrote ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon’

Irwin Jesse Levine, 58, who co-wrote “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree.” The song of yearning and hope became an unofficial national anthem during the Iran hostage crisis. It inspired Americans to adorn their yards with yellow ribbons in a show of support for the Americans who were taken hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 3, 1978 and held for 444 days by Muslim militants. The song, written by Levine and Larry Brown, became the second-most recorded song in history, after the Beatles’ “Yesterday.” It was first recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn. That trio also recorded other hits by Levine and Brown, including “Knock Three Times,” “Candida,” and “Sweet Gypsy Rose.” The first of Levine’s 40 hit songs was “This Diamond Ring,” recorded by Gary Lewis & the Playboys in 1965. On Tuesday in Livingston, N.J.