Singe, songwite and music poduce Van Allen Clinton McCoy was bon on Januay , , in Washington, DC. He sang with the Metopolitan Baptist Chuch choi when he was a kid. At age he began witing his own songs and pefoming in local amateu shows along with his olde bothe, Noman J. He was the lead singe of the doo-wop goup The Stalightes, which ecoded the novelty dance ecod "The Bidland" in . Afte The Stalightes boke up McCoy studied psychology fo two yeas at Howad Univesity befoe dopping out and moving to Philadelphia. He began his own label, ockin' ecods, and eleased the single "Hey M. DJ" in . This in tun led to McCoy being hied as a staff wite and A& epesentative fo Scepte ecods. Thoughout the ealy to mids Van penned numeous hit songs fo such atists as 'The Shielles' , ecoded seveal albums and gave many live pefomances. In Van scoed an enomous smash hit with the goovy disco instumental "The Hustle;" the song peaked at # on the Billboad chats in July , sold well ove a million copies and won the Gammy Awad fo Best Pop Instumental Pefomance. Stunned by the supise success of "The Hustle" and unhappy with his newfound status as a disco hitmake, McCoy nonetheless ecoded a few follow-up disco songs and albums that failed to eplicate the substantial success of "The Hustle." He etuned to witing and poducing mateial fo othe atists fo the emainde of his caee. Van McCoy died of a sudden massive heat attack on July , in Englewood, New Jesey; he was only yeas old.
His disco anthem, "The Hustle," was a number 1 recording in July of 1975. It sold ten million copies, won a Grammy as "Best Pop Instrumental of 1975" and is considered the best-selling disco disk of all time.
Prolific songwriter/producer/arranger. Wrote "Giving Up" for Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Sweet Bitter Love" for Aretha Franklin , "The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven" for Chris Bartley, "I Get The Sweetest Feeling" for Jackie Wilson , "Suddenly, Im All Alone" for Walter Jackson and "Right On The Tip Of My Tongue" for Brenda & The Tabulations, among others. Produced and/or arranged hits for artists such as David Ruffin , Faith, Hope & Charity, The Stylistics and Zulema. Discovered by Mitch Miller.
Wrote a song called "Were Just Two of a Kind" for the late Mary Wells , on her self-titled 1965 album for 20th Century-Fox.
His big hit song "The Hustle" was written in under an hour and was the last track recorded for the 1975 album "Disco Baby".
Founder of Vando Records.
