Fields was born Anthony Dean Campos (28 December 1958) in Stafford, Kansas. After his parents separated when he was four, his mother remarried, and he took his stepfather's last name, Fields. He was raised in Davis, California and showed an early aptitude for gymnastics before taking up dance training. He attended Davis High School graduating in 1977. Fields then went on to college at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts on scholarship and Roland Dupree Academy of Dance, but left when paid work began to materialise for him.

He was selected to perform in Debbie Reynolds' nightclub act. He then found a job on the Solid Gold television series as a Dancer in 1979. Fields would continue with Solid Gold until 1984.

In 1983, Fields performed in Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and "Thriller" music video, both choreographed by Michael Peters and Lionel Richie's "Running with the night" music video.

Richard Attenborough was working on a film version of the Broadway musical, A Chorus Line in 1984. After a casting call which attracted over 3000 people, and auditions by anyone who had previously performed in the musical, Tony Fields won the role of Al DeLuca.

Fields' film work continued, with roles in Trick or Treat (1986), Body Beat (1987), The Doctor (1991) and Across the Moon (1995) and television shows such as Murder She Wrote (1992) and L.A. Law (1991). He also performed in plays and musical theatre in California, and returned to Davis High School to mentor students in 1994.

Fields died of AIDS related cancer in 1995. He was 36.