Conny Van Dyke, a singer-songwriter signed to Motown Records who starred in such movies as “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” and “Framed,” has died. She was 78.
Van Dyke died on Nov. 11 at her house in Los Angeles because of problems of vascular dementia, her son Bronson Page instructed Variety.
The Detroit native was a longtime colon most cancers and stroke survivor. She acquired her begin within the leisure trade when she was simply 15 and a scholar in highschool, making the movie “Among the Thorns” with Tom Laughlin, Bill Wellman Jr. and Stephanie Powers. During that point, Van Dyke additionally labored as a songwriter for Wheelsville Records in Detroit.
In 1961, Van Dyke signed with Motown Records, making her one of many first white recording artists on the label. Her first two singles, “Oh, Freddy,” written by Smokey Robinson, and “It Hurt Me Too,” beforehand written and recorded by Marvin Gaye, have been launched in 1963.
In 1969, Van Dyke starred as Betsy, Jeremy Slate’s love curiosity, within the outlaw biker movie “Hell’s Angels ’69.” Also starring within the movie have been Tom Stern, Steve Sandor, Sonny Barger and the Oakland Hells Angels bike membership as themselves. Van Dyke described filming the film as “a terrifying, and but, exhilarating expertise.”
After starring in “Hell’s Angels ’69,” Van Dyke launched two nation albums, “Conny Van Dyke” and “Conny Van Dyke Sings for You.” In 1975, she additionally went on to star in “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” alongside Burt Reynolds and Art Carney and “Framed” as singer Susan Barrett with Joe Don Baker. Van Dyke made a slew of tv appearances on “Adam-12,” “Barbary Coast” and “Nakia” with recreation present appearances on “The Hollywood Squares,” “Match Game,” “Tattletale” and “The Gong Show,” amongst others.
Van Dyke retired from appearing within the late Nineteen Seventies to maintain her son, however returned in 2008 with a visitor position on “Cold Case” and, later, “CSI,” earlier than struggling a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and from which she by no means absolutely recovered.
Van Dyke is survived by her son, Page.
