She was a violinist, singer and actress born Marcia Evelyn Van Dyke in Grants Pass, Oregon and was the cousin of the film director W.S. Van Dyke.
She moved to California with her parents in 1936 and started making her name known from the 1940s when she appeared in films and TV series such as A Date With Judy, In the Good old Summertime, Robert Montgomery Presents, Shadow on the Wall, Toast of the Town and won a Theatre World award for her role as Katie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which also marked her Broadway debut. She also had articles written about her in Life and Time magazines.
During her professional career she performed with many groups and artists including Dorothy Ashby, George Bohannon, Stanley Clarke, Neil Diamond, George Duke, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Gap Band, Milt Jackson, Earl Klugh and D.J. Rogers.
Albums she appeared on over the years include School Daze by Stanley Clarke, The Joy of Sax by Sonny Criss, In My Lifetime by Neil Diamond, Guardian of the Light by George Duke, All ‘n’ All by Earth, Wind & Fire, The Gap Band, Porgy & Bess by Cleo Laine and Ray Charles.
She died at home in Ashland, Oregon in 2002 when she was 80 years old.
The Gap Band recordings
Baby Baba Boogie (Lonnie Simmons/Charlie Wilson)
She performs here…
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Van_Dyke
- http://www.classicmoviemusicals.com/actorsv.htm
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0886739/
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0886739/otherworks
- http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/webs/0,,505004,00.html
- http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,858095,00.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Days_%28album%29
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfexqegld6e~T4