Leroy Van Dyke

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Leroy Frank Van Dyke (born October 4, 1929 in Spring Fork , Missouri ) is an American country singer and songwriter who became known from the late 1950s with hits like Auctioneer and Walk on By .

Beginnings

Van Dyke originally wanted to be a farmer . He began playing guitar while studying agriculture at the University of Missouri . During these years his passion for country music developed. After completing his studies in animal husbandry and journalism , he first worked as an editor for agricultural issues at a newspaper and briefly as a cattle auctioneer .

In 1951 he was drafted into the army and spent a year in Korea . Here he had several opportunities for musical performances. He also wrote the song Auctioneer , which incorporated his own experiences and which enabled him to enter the country scene a little later.

Career

Winning a talent competition led to a record deal in 1956. His first single with the song Auctioneer sold more than 2.5 million copies and made it into the country top ten as well as the pop top 20 . However, he was betrayed by his manager, who unjustifiably pretended to be a co-author and collected half of the royalties . The initial success could not be repeated at first, the subsequent singles flopped without exception. From 1957 he appeared regularly on the television show Ozark Jubilee .

Leroy van Dyke - Walk on By

In 1961 Van Dyke moved to Nashville and switched to the Mercury label. In the same year he succeeded in a super hit with the Walk on By produced by Shelby Singleton , which stayed at the top of the country charts for 19 weeks in a row and advanced to number five in the pop hit parade. Walk on By, Wait on the Corner , which is about a "forbidden love", in which man and woman cannot show themselves together in public, was one of the greatest country hits of the 1960s. A perfect arrangement and the participation of top studio musicians also contributed to the success.

In 1962 Van Dyke became a member of the Grand Ole Opry . In the same year he made it to number three on the country charts with If a Woman Answers (Hang Up the Phone) . After that, there were no successes. Even changing the label several times did not bring any improvement, although it remained in business until the 1980s. In 1967 he worked in the feature film What Am I Bid? with, in which he represented an auctioneer.

Discography

Albums

year title Label
1961 Walk On By Mercury
1963 Movin 'Van Dyke Mercury
1963 Leroy Van Dyke's Greatest Hits Mercury
1964 Songs for Mom & Dad Mercury
1964 Leroy Van Dyke at the Trade Winds Mercury
1965 The Leroy Van Dyke Show Warner Brothers
1965 Out of love Mercury
1966 Country hits Warner Brothers
1968 Lonesome Is Cap
1969 I've never been loved Harmony
1969 Just a Closer Walk with Thee Cap
1972 Greatest Hits-Leroy Van Dyke Decca
1977 Gospel greats Plant
1979 Rock Relics Plant

Singles

year Title
album
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
DE DE UK UK US US Country Country
1956 The auctioneer
- - US29 (15 weeks)
US
Country9 (1 week)
Country
1961 Walk On By
Walk On By
DE14 (16 weeks)
DE
UK5 (17 weeks)
UK
US5 (16 weeks)
US
Country1 (37 weeks)
Country
1962 If a Woman Answers (Hang Up the Phone)
Movin 'Van Dyke
- - US35 (7 weeks)
US
Country3 (12 weeks)
Country
Big Man In a Big House
- UK34 (3 weeks)
UK
- -
Black Cloud
The Great Hits
- - - Country16 (7 weeks)
Country
1964 Happy to be unhappy
- - - Country50 (1 week)
Country
Night people
- - - Country45 (3 weeks)
Country
1965 Anne of a Thousand Days
- - - Country40 (5 weeks)
Country
1966 Roses from a Stranger
I've Never Been Loved Before
- - - Country34 (8 weeks)
Country
1967 I've Never Been Loved Before
I've Never Been Loved Before
- - - Country66 (4 weeks)
Country
1968 Louisville
I've Never Been Loved Before
- - - Country23 (11 weeks)
Country
You May Be Too Much for Memphis, Baby
Lonesome Is
- - - Country69 (5 weeks)
Country
1969 Crack in My World
- - - Country56 (4 weeks)
Country
1970 An Old Love Affair, Now Showing
- - - Country63 (7 weeks)
Country
Mister Professor
- - - Country71 (2 weeks)
Country
1971 I Get Lonely When It Rains
- - - Country62 (5 weeks)
Country
1972 I'd Rather Be Wantin 'Love
- - - Country69 (6 weeks)
Country
1975 Unfaithful fools
- - - Country79 (6 weeks)
Country
1976 Who's Gonna Run the Truck Stop in
Tuba City When I'm Gone?
- - - Country75 (7 weeks)
Country
1977 Texas Tea
- - - Country77 (6 weeks)
Country

More singles

  • 1966: You Couldn't Get My Love Back (If You Tried)

swell

  1. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. P. 87
  2. Chart sources: DE UK US US before 1958

Web links