Conny Van Dyke, a singer-songwriter signed to Motown Documents 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 property in Los Angeles due to problems of vascular dementia, her son Bronson Web page advised Assortment.
The Detroit indigenous was a longtime colon most cancers and stroke survivor. She obtained her start off in the enjoyment business when she was just 15 and a student in high school, making the movie “Among the Thorns” with Tom Laughlin, Invoice Wellman Jr. and Stephanie Powers. Through that time, Van Dyke also labored as a songwriter for Wheelsville Documents in Detroit.
In 1961, Van Dyke signed with Motown Records, earning her 1 of the initially white recording artists on the label. Her first two singles, “Oh, Freddy,” prepared by Smokey Robinson, and “It Harm Me Also,” previously created and recorded by Marvin Gaye, were being released in 1963.
In 1969, Van Dyke starred as Betsy, Jeremy Slate’s like interest, in the outlaw biker film “Hell’s Angels ’69.” Also starring in the movie were being Tom Stern, Steve Sandor, Sonny Barger and the Oakland Hells Angels motorbike club as by themselves. Van Dyke explained filming the movie as “a terrifying, and still, exhilarating encounter.”
Just after starring in “Hell’s Angels ’69,” Van Dyke unveiled two nation albums, “Conny Van Dyke” and “Conny Van Dyke Sings for You.” In 1975, she also 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 manufactured a slew of tv appearances on “Adam-12,” “Barbary Coast” and “Nakia” with sport exhibit appearances on “The Hollywood Squares,” “Match Game,” “Tattletale” and “The Gong Clearly show,” among some others.
Van Dyke retired from performing in the late 1970s to acquire treatment of her son, but returned in 2008 with a visitor role on “Cold Case” and, later on, “CSI,” just before suffering a stroke that still left her partially paralyzed and from which she never ever entirely recovered.
Van Dyke is survived by her son, Site.