Conny Van Dyke, sometimes credited as Connie Van Dyke, is an American singer and actress. Van Dyke was born in

Cape Charles, Virginia Cape Charles is a town / municipal corporation in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,009 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 Census. History Cape Charles, located close to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, on ...

, to Benjamin and Charlotte Elizabeth Van Dyke. When she was 15 years old, Van Dyke made recordings, worked as a fashion model, and made her first film, ''Among the Thorns''. She worked as a songwriter and recording artist for Wheelsville Records in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. She entered and won ''Teen'' magazines Miss Teen of the United States (unrelated to the current

Miss Teen USA Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant formerly run, since 1983, by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on Fox and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Mis ...

pageant) in 1960 and signed with

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

in 1961, making her one of the first white recording artists for the label. Her only Motown release appeared in early 1963, featuring "Oh Freddy", written by

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

, backed with "It Hurt Me Too", written and previously recorded by

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

. She was cast in ''

Hell's Angels '69 ''Hell's Angels '69'' is a 1969 Outlaw biker film directed by Lee Madden and Conny Van Dyke. The film stars Tom Stern, Jeremy Slate, Conny Van Dyke, and Steve Sandor. Plot Two brothers, Chuck and Wes, plan to rob the Caesar's Palace Casino in La ...

'' with Tom Stern, Jeremy Slate, and several members of the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporatio ...

motorcycle club. Her only sibling, Benjamin Van Dyke III, was killed in an auto accident near Salinas, California in 1969. Shortly after ''Hell's Angels '69'' she married Robert Page and gave birth to a son, Bronson. She continued to pursue recording, and released a self-titled album in 1972. She co-starred in ''

W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings ''W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings'' is a 1975 American comedy film directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Burt Reynolds, and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film features the acting debut of Jerry Reed. Plot In 1957, W.W. Bright (B ...

'' in 1975 with

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

. Another album, ''Conny Van Dyke Sings for You,'' followed the film. In 1975 she co-starred in '' Framed'' with

Joe Don Baker Joe Don Baker (born February 12, 1936) is an American character actor and a life member of the Actors Studio. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles as a mysterious cowboy drifter in ''Guns of the Magnificent Seven'' (196 ...

, and in 2004 she co-starred in '' Shiner''. Van Dyke appeared on ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'', ''

Nakia Nakia Reynoso (born February 20, 1975), known professionally as Nakia, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor living in Austin, Texas. He is a native of Fort Payne, Alabama. Professional background Nakia moved to Austin in 200 ...

'', and '' Police Woman'', and on several game shows in the 1970s, including ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelist ...

'', '' You Don't Say'', ''

The Cross-Wits ''The Cross-Wits'' is an American syndicated game show which premiered on December 15, 1975, and lasted for five seasons until its cancellation on September 12, 1980. The show was hosted by Jack Clark, with Jerri Fiala as hostess. Announcing d ...

'', ''

The Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debuted in 1966 on the ...

'', ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Goodson-Todman Productions in association with Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June 1984. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several a ...

'', and ''

The Gong Show ''The Gong Show'' is an American amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to 1 ...

''. In 2008 she made a return to network television, guest-starring on ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

''; she appeared on '' CSI'' the following year. Van Dyke supported

United Cerebral Palsy United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities. As one of the largest health nonpro ...

's telethons for over 25 years.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Dyke, Conny Living people People from Nassawadox, Virginia Actresses from Virginia Singers from Virginia 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Year of birth missing (living people)