Conny Van Dyke
Conny Van Dyke is a singer and actress, born September 28, 1945 in Nassawadox, Virginia to Benjamin and Charlotte Elizabeth Van Dyke.
Van Dyke began as a songwriter and recording artist for Wheelsville Records in Detroit, Michigan. She entered and won Teen Magazine's "Miss Teen USA" (unrelated to the current Miss Teen USA pageant) in 1960 and signed with Motown Records in 1961, making her one of the first white recording artists for the label. Her only Motown release appeared in early 1963 and featured the songs "It Hurt Me Too" (previously issued by Marvin Gaye) which featured on its B-Side, "Oh Freddy" written by Smokey Robinson.
She was cast in Hell's Angels '69 with Tom Stern, Jeremy Slate, and the several members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. Her only sibling, Benjamin Van Dyke III, was killed in an auto accident near Salinas, CA in 1969. Shortly after Hell's Angels '69 she married Robert Page and gave birth to her son, Bronson Page. She continued to pursue recording, and released a self-titled album in 1972. She co-starred in W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings in 1975 with Burt Reynolds. Another album, "Conny Van Dyke Sings For You," followed the film.
In 1975, she co-starred in Framed with Joe Don Baker, and in 2004 she co-starred in Shiner.
Van Dyke subsequently appeared on Adam-12 and Police Woman and on several game shows in the 70's, including Match Game, You Don't Say, The Cross-Wits, The Hollywood Squares and The Gong Show.
In 2008 she made her return to network television, guest starring on Cold Case, and appearing in CSI the following year.
Van Dyke supported United Cerebral Palsy's telethons for over 25 years.
She has often joked that her last name turned out to be ironic, because she had her first lesbian experience in a van.