Earl Van Dyke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Earl Van Dyke
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 8, 1930 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | September 18, 1992 (aged 62) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Keyboards |
| Labels | Blue Note, Motown |
| Associated acts | The Funk Brothers |
Earl Van Dyke (born July 8, 1930 – died September 18, 1992) was an amazing American musician. He was best known as the main keyboard player for Motown Records. Motown had a famous in-house band called The Funk Brothers. Earl Van Dyke played a huge part in many of their hit songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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Earl Van Dyke's Musical Journey
Earl Van Dyke was born in Detroit, Michigan. Before him, Joe Hunter was the main keyboardist and bandleader for the Funk Brothers. In the early 1960s, Earl also recorded jazz music. He played the organ for the Blue Note record label.
Playing for Motown Hits
Earl Van Dyke was a "session keyboardist" for Motown. This means he played keyboards on many songs for other artists. He helped create hits like "Bernadette" by The Four Tops. He also played on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Another famous song he played on was "Runaway Child, Running Wild" by The Temptations.
Besides his studio work, Van Dyke also performed live. He opened shows for many Motown artists with his own small band. He also released his own instrumental songs and albums. Some of his recordings used the original music tracks from Motown hits. Others were his own versions of popular Motown songs.
His Famous Nicknames
His 1967 song "6 by 6" became very popular in the Northern soul music scene. People loved its energetic sound. Earl Van Dyke had two cool nicknames. People called him "Big Funk" and "Chunk o Funk."
Instruments Earl Played
Earl Van Dyke was skilled at many keyboard instruments. He played the Steinway grand piano. He also played the Hammond B-3 organ. Other instruments included the Wurlitzer electric piano and the Fender Rhodes. He could also play the celeste and the harpsichord. For the start of The Temptations' song "It's Growing," he even played a toy piano! His musical heroes included Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Barry Harris.
Earl Van Dyke passed away in Detroit, Michigan, when he was 62 years old.
Earl Van Dyke's Music
Singles
- 1964: "Soul Stomp"
- 1965: "All For You"
- 1965: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)"
- 1965: "The Flick (Part II)"
- 1967: "6 By 6"
- 1969: "Run Away Child, Running Wild"
Some of these songs were released as "Earl Van Dyke & the Soul Brothers." This was a name Motown boss Berry Gordy gave to the Funk Brothers band. He didn't like the word "funk." The song "6 By 6" was released as "Earl Van Dyke & the Motown Brass."
Albums
- 1965: That Motown Sound (with the Soul Brothers)
- 1970: The Earl of Funk (a live album)
As a Sideman
Earl Van Dyke also played on albums for other musicians. When a musician plays on someone else's album, they are called a "sideman."
With Fred Jackson
- Hootin' 'n Tootin' (Blue Note, 1962)
With Ike Quebec
- The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions (Blue Note, 1962)
