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Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, The Stylistics, The Presidents, Faith, Hope & Charity, New Censation, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
Van McCoy was born on January 6, 1940, in Washington, D.C., the second child of Norman S. McCoy, Sr. and Lillian Ray. He learned to play piano at a young age and sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir as a youngster.
In September 1958, McCoy entered Howard University and studied psychology, but he left school two years later in order to resume his musical career.
By the age of 12, he had begun writing his own songs, in addition to performing in local amateur shows alongside his older brother, Norman Jr. The two brothers formed a doo-wop combo named the Starlighters with two friends while in Theodore Roosevelt High School. In 1956, they recorded a single, "The Birdland", a novelty dance record. It gained some interest, resulting in a tour with saxophonist Vi Burnside. In 1959, the Starlighters produced three singles for End Records that included "I Cried". Marriage and other commitments eventually caused the group to disband during the mid-1950s. Van also sang with a group the Marylanders.
McCoy relocated to Philadelphia after leaving Howard University. He formed his own recording company, Rockin' Records, releasing his first single, "Hey Mr. D.J.", in 1959.[citation needed] This single gained the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired McCoy as a staff writer and A&R representative for the label. As a writer there, McCoy composed his first success, "Stop the Music", for the popular female vocal group The Shirelles in 1962, who he also arranged for. He was co-owner of Vando Records with Philly D.J. Jocko Henderson. He owned the Share record label and co-owned the Maxx record label in the mid-1960s, supervising such artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, Chris Bartley and The Ad Libs.
McCoy came into his own after first working for top producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a writer, and then signing with the major April-Blackwood music publishing concern, connected with Columbia Records. He began writing a string of hits as the 1960s progressed. He penned "Giving Up" for Gladys Knight & the Pips (later a hit for both The Ad Libs and Donny Hathaway), "The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven" for Chris Bartley, "When You're Young and in Love" for Ruby & the Romantics (later a hit for The Marvelettes), "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" for Brenda & the Tabulations, "Baby I'm Yours" for Barbara Lewis, "Getting Mighty Crowded" for Betty Everett, "Abracadabra" for Erma Franklin, "You're Gonna Make Me Love You" for Sandi Sheldon, and "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" for Jackie Wilson.
Joe Cobb was a songwriting partner of Van McCoy. The duo composed at least eighteen chart hits, including "So Much Love" by Faith, Hope & Charity, "Triangle Of Love (Hey Diddle Diddle)" by The Presidents [on whom McCoy produced "5,10,15.20 (25,30 Years of Love)"], "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" by Brenda & the Tabulations, and "Come Back and Finish What You Started" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Cash Box reported in the June 13, 1964, issue that McCoy was appointed to the position of staff writer for the music publishing company April-Blackwood Music. He was working under Jerry Teifer. His duties included writing music and lyrics for all their labels, major and independent labels. He also had the responsibility to maintain the liaison with artists and producers. At that time, McCoy's composition "Giving Up" by Gladys Knight & the Pips was doing well in the charts. It was at no. 56 in the Cash Box Top 100 and no. 10 in the Cash Box Top 50 in R&B Locations chart.
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Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, The Stylistics, The Presidents, Faith, Hope & Charity, New Censation, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
Van McCoy was born on January 6, 1940, in Washington, D.C., the second child of Norman S. McCoy, Sr. and Lillian Ray. He learned to play piano at a young age and sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir as a youngster.
In September 1958, McCoy entered Howard University and studied psychology, but he left school two years later in order to resume his musical career.
By the age of 12, he had begun writing his own songs, in addition to performing in local amateur shows alongside his older brother, Norman Jr. The two brothers formed a doo-wop combo named the Starlighters with two friends while in Theodore Roosevelt High School. In 1956, they recorded a single, "The Birdland", a novelty dance record. It gained some interest, resulting in a tour with saxophonist Vi Burnside. In 1959, the Starlighters produced three singles for End Records that included "I Cried". Marriage and other commitments eventually caused the group to disband during the mid-1950s. Van also sang with a group the Marylanders.
McCoy relocated to Philadelphia after leaving Howard University. He formed his own recording company, Rockin' Records, releasing his first single, "Hey Mr. D.J.", in 1959.[citation needed] This single gained the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired McCoy as a staff writer and A&R representative for the label. As a writer there, McCoy composed his first success, "Stop the Music", for the popular female vocal group The Shirelles in 1962, who he also arranged for. He was co-owner of Vando Records with Philly D.J. Jocko Henderson. He owned the Share record label and co-owned the Maxx record label in the mid-1960s, supervising such artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, Chris Bartley and The Ad Libs.
McCoy came into his own after first working for top producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a writer, and then signing with the major April-Blackwood music publishing concern, connected with Columbia Records. He began writing a string of hits as the 1960s progressed. He penned "Giving Up" for Gladys Knight & the Pips (later a hit for both The Ad Libs and Donny Hathaway), "The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven" for Chris Bartley, "When You're Young and in Love" for Ruby & the Romantics (later a hit for The Marvelettes), "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" for Brenda & the Tabulations, "Baby I'm Yours" for Barbara Lewis, "Getting Mighty Crowded" for Betty Everett, "Abracadabra" for Erma Franklin, "You're Gonna Make Me Love You" for Sandi Sheldon, and "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" for Jackie Wilson.
Joe Cobb was a songwriting partner of Van McCoy. The duo composed at least eighteen chart hits, including "So Much Love" by Faith, Hope & Charity, "Triangle Of Love (Hey Diddle Diddle)" by The Presidents [on whom McCoy produced "5,10,15.20 (25,30 Years of Love)"], "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" by Brenda & the Tabulations, and "Come Back and Finish What You Started" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Cash Box reported in the June 13, 1964, issue that McCoy was appointed to the position of staff writer for the music publishing company April-Blackwood Music. He was working under Jerry Teifer. His duties included writing music and lyrics for all their labels, major and independent labels. He also had the responsibility to maintain the liaison with artists and producers. At that time, McCoy's composition "Giving Up" by Gladys Knight & the Pips was doing well in the charts. It was at no. 56 in the Cash Box Top 100 and no. 10 in the Cash Box Top 50 in R&B Locations chart.