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Producer/composer Van McCoy had
a lengthy career in R&B, soul, and dance music, although he is best
known by the general public for "The Hustle." But McCoy's
experiences dated back to the '50s, when he sang with both the Marylanders
and in the Starlighters with his brother. The Starlighters cut three singles
for End in 1959. McCoy had his own label, Rock 'N, in 1960 and became an
A&R man at Scepter/Wand from 1961 to 1964. He penned numbers for Chuck
Jackson, the Shirelles, Jackie Wilson ("I Get the Sweetest
Feeling"), and Ruby and the Romantics ("When You're Young and in
Love"), and produced sessions by the Shirelles, Gladys Knight, and the
Drifters. McCoy also ran Vando and Share and owned Maxx during the '60s,
supervising such artists as Chris Bartley and the Ad-Libs.
He later created Van McCoy Productions in 1968, and formed Faith, Hope & Charity in the early '70s before becoming a solo artist and signing with Avco. "The Hustle" was a number one R&B and pop hit in 1975, as well as a gold single. McCoy also had a Top Ten R&B hit with "Change with the Times" that same year, also on Avco. He continued on "H&L" and MCA through 1976. McCoy wrote and produced material for Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Linda Clifford, Stacy Lattisaw, Melba Moore, and Barbara Lewis. He was only 34 when he died of a heart attack in 1979. - from the All Music Guide by Ron Wynn |
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