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AirTalk

Captain and Tennille split up at 70. Boomer divorce is on the rise

LAS VEGAS - JULY 27:  "Captain" Daryl Dragon and his wife Toni Tennille of the music duo The Captain and Tennille, pose at the Video Software Dealers Association's annual home video convention at the Bellagio July 27, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are promoting a Christmas album entitled "Saving Up Christmas" and a DVD box set that will each be released October 11, 2005.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Captain Daryl Dragon;Toni Tennille
"Captain" Daryl Dragon and his wife Toni Tennille of the music duo The Captain and Tennille, pose at the Video Software Dealers Association's annual home video convention at the Bellagio July 27, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
)
Listen 20:21
Captain and Tennille split up at 70. Boomer divorce is on the rise

It turns out that love actually couldn’t keep them together and after nearly 40 years of marriage the 70s music duo known as ‘Captain and Tennille’ are getting a divorce.

The 73 and 71 year old singers aren't alone in seeking out new loves later in life. While the divorce rate among younger Americans is dropping, the baby boomer crowd is splitting up in even greater numbers. The divorce rate for over 50s has surged 50 percent in the past 20 years.

What's behind the increasing rate of divorce among boomers? Is there something particular about the boomer mentality that makes them more likely to divorce? What's the dating pool like for the over 50 crowd? Will younger generations follow suit or are more likely to stick to till death do us part?

Guest: 

Pepper Schwartz, PhD, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington and author of ‘Dating After 50 for Dummies’