- Leroy Van Dyke
Leroy Frank Van Dyke (born
4 October 1929 in Mora,Missouri ) is billed as "The World’s Most Famous Auctioneer".Leroy was catapulted into
country music recording fame in 1956 by his own composition "Auctioneer," which has to date sold an estimated three million records. He wrote thesong about the life of hiscousin , National Auctioneers Association Hall of Famer Ray Sims, also a Missourian. Leroy later had the lead role of a budding country music performer in the movie "What Am I Bid?", in which Ray Sims played himself as an auctioneer.In his fifty years plus career, Van Dyke has recorded some 500
song s, dozens of them making the charts. His record of "Walk On By" (1961) was named byBillboard Magazine in 1994 as the biggest country single of all time, based on sales, plays and weeks in the charts. It stayed at number one for nineteen weeks, and in all, charted for 42 weeks, also reaching number five on the pop listings, and selling approximately three million records. Among the musicians with whom Van Dyke appeared wasAllen "Puddler" Harris ofLouisiana , later an associate of formerGovernor Jimmie Davis .Other Van Dyke notable hits were "If A Woman Answers," "Black Cloud," "Big Man In A Big House," "Anne Of A Thousand Days," "Happy To Be Unhappy," "Night People," "Be A Good Girl," "Dim Dark Corner," "Five Steps Away," "How Long Must You Keep Me A Secret," "Afraid Of A Heartache," "Big Wide Wonderful World Of Country Music," "Birmingham," "Just A State Of Mind," "Mr. Professor," "My World Is Caving In," "The Other Boys Are Talking," "Poor Guy," "Roses From A Stranger," "Texas Tea," "Who’s Gonna Run The Truck Stop In Tuba City When I’m Gone," "Wrong Side Of The Tracks," "Your Daughter Cried All Night," "Your Money," and "The Life You Offered Me."
He made regular appearances on the ABC-TV program "
Ozark Jubilee ", and was co-host, withBill Mack , of the Southern Baptist Radio/TV Commission-produced "Country Crossroads"radio show for ten years, and was later joined by a third co-host,Jerry Clower . This became the most widely syndicated radio show in country music history.He graduated from the "
University of Missouri " majoring in agricultural journalism.Van Dyke continues a full performance schedule, traveling from his office/home complex on his 1,000-acre (4 km²) ranch in west central Missouri near
Sedalia . He is a member of the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame, is active in many music industry organizations and, as a sideline, raises premium quality Arabian mules. All aspects of his Leroy Van Dyke Enterprises are managed by his wife, Gladys, former legal secretary/court reporter. Their son Ben, playslead guitar with all Van Dyke performances.References
*
Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
*The Book of Golden Discs - 2nd Edition - ISBN 0-214-20512-6External links
*http://www.leroyvandyke.com/
*http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:5lfozf0heh3k~T1
*http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/leroyvandyke.txt
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