Conny Van Dyke

Conny Van Dyke was 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. In 1960, Van Dyke entered and won the "Miss Teen USA" contest (sponsored by Teen magazine and apparently unrelated to the current Miss Teen USA pageant). She was signed to 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) b/w "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 only 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.