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Who Was The First White Female Artist To Record On Motown?

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Who was the first white female artist to record on Motown?

Grant

Edited by ShaneH

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Who was the first white female artist to record on Motown?

Grant

Conny Van Dyke.

Sean

  • Author

Conny Van Dyke.

Sean

F**k, we were both wrong - I thought Kiki Dee or Debbie Dean (read that on t'internet recently) - my mate thought Chris Clark :unsure:

Conny Van Dyke.

Sean

int she from Peterborough?

Who was the first white female artist to record on Motown?

Grant

Definitely Connie Van Dyke. :unsure:

Heard her interviewed on Richard Serling's sunday show a couple of years back.

She was only 14 when she went on a Motown tour.

KTF.

Drew.

It's definitely Debbie Dean - don't know where you're getting Conny Van Dyke from.

Debbie's first Motown record was # 1007, released in 1960. Conny didn't even get to Motown until '63, and her first and only Motown 45 was (from memory, I can't be arsed to go and double check) # 1041.

Debbie Dean had, in fact, left Motown - for the first time, she came back in '67 - before Connie van Dyke signed on....

I do believe that Debbie was not just the first white woman to record for a Motown label, but also the first white artist to record for the company, period...

TONE :unsure:

  • Author

It's definitely Debbie Dean - don't know where you're getting Conny Van Dyke from.

Debbie's first Motown record was # 1007, released in 1960. Conny didn't even get to Motown until '63, and her first and only Motown 45 was (from memory, I can't be arsed to go and double check) # 1041.

Debbie Dean had, in fact, left Motown - for the first time, she came back in '67 - before Connie van Dyke signed on....

I do believe that Debbie was not just the first white woman to record for a Motown label, but also the first white artist to record for the company, period...

TONE :unsure:

Thanks Tone - looks like you may have won me a pint :lol:

int she from Peterborough?
:unsure::lol::lol:

It's definitely Debbie Dean - don't know where you're getting Conny Van Dyke from.

Debbie's first Motown record was # 1007, released in 1960. Conny didn't even get to Motown until '63,

Sorry Tony, but I always believed that the lovely Conny signed with Motown in 1960, age 15 (She was born 28 September 1945).

Berry Gordy 'discovered' her at a 'Miss Teen Night' and he 'signed' his first White Female artist immediately after, in 1960.

Its certainly incorrect to say that she didn't get to Motown until 1963.

You're right though, Debbie Dean WAS the first white female artist to actually RECORD for Motown. I jumped the gun and read the question as first artist at Motown.... and I've always believed it to be common knowledge that Conny was the first!

Either way, I know who'd I'd have wanted to have first!

:shades:

Sean

CONNY_VAN_DYKE.gif(post-4120-1160522917_

Edited by Sean Hampsey

Sorry Tony, but I always believed that the lovely Conny signed with Motown in 1960, age 15 (She was born 28 September 1945).

Berry Gordy 'discovered' her at a 'Miss Teen Night' and he 'signed' his first White Female artist immediately after, in 1960.

Its certainly incorrect to say that she didn't get to Motown until 1963.

You're right though, Debbie Dean WAS the first white female artist to actually RECORD for Motown. I jumped the gun and read the question as first artist at Motown.... and I've always believed it to be common knowledge that Conny was the first!

Either way, I know who'd I'd have wanted to have first!

:yes:

Sean

:shhh:

Didn't she go to Cleethorpes ? :shades:

:shhh:

Didn't she go to Cleethorpes ? :shades:

I think you're right Steve.

You do mean the 'filthy one' dont you?

:yes:

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Sorry Tony, but I always believed that the lovely Conny signed with Motown in 1960, age 15 (She was born 28 September 1945).

Berry Gordy 'discovered' her at a 'Miss Teen Night' and he 'signed' his first White Female artist immediately after, in 1960.

Its certainly incorrect to say that she didn't get to Motown until 1963.

You're right though, Debbie Dean WAS the first white female artist to actually RECORD for Motown. I jumped the gun and read the question as first artist at Motown.... and I've always believed it to be common knowledge that Conny was the first!

Either way, I know who'd I'd have wanted to have first!

:shades:

Sean

Connie Haines was white too ... she was at Motown fairly early on in the piece, 1963 I believe.

I have a rather tasty white demo of her doing a nice version of Mary Wells "What Easy for Two" - was she one & the same person as Connie Van Dyke by any chance ???

intresting to find out stuff like this. i would have said Kiki Dee but ain't she only UK female artist on motown

Connie Haines was white too ... she was at Motown fairly early on in the piece, 1963 I believe.

I have a rather tasty white demo of her doing a nice version of Mary Wells "What Easy for Two" - was she one & the same person as Connie Van Dyke by any chance ???

Quite possible . It may be for release purposes with the 45 that she was called " Haines " as a opposed to " Van Dyke " because of Earl ...... Over to the fountain of knowledge on this one : any ideas Mr Rounce ?

Malc Burton

THE CORNER POCKET , Mexborough , South Yorkshire

SATURDAY , OCTOBER 21st : Guest DJ - ROB SMITH

Sorry Tony, but I always believed that the lovely Conny signed with Motown in 1960, age 15 (She was born 28 September 1945).

Berry Gordy 'discovered' her at a 'Miss Teen Night' and he 'signed' his first White Female artist immediately after, in 1960.

Its certainly incorrect to say that she didn't get to Motown until 1963.

You're right though, Debbie Dean WAS the first white female artist to actually RECORD for Motown. I jumped the gun and read the question as first artist at Motown.... and I've always believed it to be common knowledge that Conny was the first!

Either way, I know who'd I'd have wanted to have first!

:shhh:

Sean

...you DIRRRRRRRRRTY old man :yes::D:D

Actually, mate, you're not correct, either. Berry G did sign her after seeing her at a "Miss Teen Night" but that was in 1962 (although she'd actually won "Miss Teen USA" in 1960, having been discovered not by BG but by her future fellow Motown label mate Soupy Sales). By that time she'd already been out to Hollywood and made her first movie.

She cut all three of her Motown sessions in March 1963, and recorded five tracks in total for the company. Both sides of Motown 1041 were recorded on March 11th. Debbie Dean, as I said, was long gone from the company by that time.

There were other white Motown artists before Conny, too - albeit not women, which is what this thread really wanted to know. The Valadiers immediately spring to mind...

TONE :shades:

PS for the person who wanted to know, Connie Haines is not Conny Van Dyke. CH was a big band singer from the 1940s whom BG signed when he was going through his "Tony Martin"/"Billy Eckstine" phase. She was in her 40s when she made "What's Easy For Two".

PPS Conny Van Dyke was also in the Burt Reynolds film "WW And The Dixie Dance Kings" in 1976 (or 7). She didn't look bad in that either!

PPPS for Mr VanDyk, Kiki Dee didn't sign to Motown till 1969, which makes her about the hundredth or so white artist to appear on Motown, behind the likes of the Lewis Sisters, the Underdogs, Little Lisa, Tom Clay, Mike and the Modifiers, Chris Clark, Richard Anthony, the Honest Men, Rick, Robin and Him and all the aforementioned, to name but a few...

  • Author

intresting to find out stuff like this. i would have said Kiki Dee but ain't she only UK female artist on motown

think you're right...thats where i got Kiki Dee from then

Conny Van Dyke.

Sean

Don't think it was, but I am at work and can't check my facts until I get home, but I think it is a male group

Who was the first white female artist to record on Motown?

Grant

Also jumped the gun and didn't read the question properly

Kev

Also jumped the gun and didn't read the question properly

Kev

Yeh! I think you did too.

Just like I did.

You made me feel a lot better about my own premature shot though.

Especially after Tony R's comprehensive drubbing.

:unsure:

Sean

...you DIRRRRRRRRRTY old man :shades::(:yes:

Actually, mate, you're not correct, either. Berry G did sign her after seeing her at a "Miss Teen Night" but that was in 1962 (although she'd actually won "Miss Teen USA" in 1960, having been discovered not by BG but by her future fellow Motown label mate Soupy Sales). By that time she'd already been out to Hollywood and made her first movie.

She cut all three of her Motown sessions in March 1963, and recorded five tracks in total for the company. Both sides of Motown 1041 were recorded on March 11th. Debbie Dean, as I said, was long gone from the company by that time.

There were other white Motown artists before Conny, too - albeit not women, which is what this thread really wanted to know. The Valadiers immediately spring to mind...

TONE :D

PS for the person who wanted to know, Connie Haines is not Conny Van Dyke. CH was a big band singer from the 1940s whom BG signed when he was going through his "Tony Martin"/"Billy Eckstine" phase. She was in her 40s when she made "What's Easy For Two".

PPS Conny Van Dyke was also in the Burt Reynolds film "WW And The Dixie Dance Kings" in 1976 (or 7). She didn't look bad in that either!

PPPS for Mr VanDyk, Kiki Dee didn't sign to Motown till 1969, which makes her about the hundredth or so white artist to appear on Motown, behind the likes of the Lewis Sisters, the Underdogs, Little Lisa, Tom Clay, Mike and the Modifiers, Chris Clark, Richard Anthony, the Honest Men, Rick, Robin and Him and all the aforementioned, to name but a few...

I can't find a 'smilie' that depicts kneeling on the floor bowing.

Awesome knowledge Tone! :yes:

Stand by what I heard though; Conny Van Dyke telling Richard Serling that she was the first white female artist to record for Motown!!!

KTF.

Drew.

Michael Jackson

Godz

Is it a she? :yes:

I can't find a 'smilie' that depicts kneeling on the floor bowing.

Awesome knowledge Tone! :yes:

Stand by what I heard though; Conny Van Dyke telling Richard Serling that she was the first white female artist to record for Motown!!!

KTF.

Drew.

I wouldn't imagine CVD would have known about Debbie Dean, frankly. It's probably a story she's repeated to journalists so many times down the years that it's become 'fact' in her mind, even though it's not. I keep telling people I have a copy of Larry Wright on A Go Go, hoping that it'll become true one day :yes:

BTW it's worth mentioning that Conny also made several other films in the mid 1970s (including the B-movie classic 'Framed' with the great Joe Don Baker). She also enjoyed a 70s singing career revival as a country artist, and made several albums that most Sourcers probably wouldn't want to touch with a ten foot pole...

She wasn't the first white woman on or at Motown, that's for sure, but "It Hurt Me Too" is still a killer record - especially for a 17 year old kid!

TONE :D

I dont think it matters,any pakistani`s on the label? :thumbsup:

I dont think it matters,any pakistani`s on the label? :yes:

Curry Van Dyke :thumbsup:

Curry Van Dyke :thumbsup:

:yes: i think!!

There were other white Motown artists before Conny, too - albeit not women, which is what this thread really wanted to know. The Valadiers immediately spring to mind...

TONE :yes:

First white artist on Motown (in fact Tamla) was Nick & The Jaguars from August 1959. They were not signed to the label, but did a one-off 45. Great pounding surf instrumental backed with a rocker. :thumbsup:

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First white artist on Motown (in fact Tamla) was Nick & The Jaguars from August 1959. They were not signed to the label, but did a one-off 45. Great pounding surf instrumental backed with a rocker. :thumbsup:

I think the Valadiers or what ever,would thought of them selfs they where more blakc than white,being Mexicans or cubans or whatever? :yes:

Edited by ken

I dont think it matters,any pakistani`s on the label? :thumbsup:

How about 'Singh'-ing Sammy Ward, Ken? :yes:

How about 'Singh'-ing Sammy Ward, Ken? :lol:

:yes:

They wernt moonlighting as the "Teen Turbans" by any chance? :thumbsup: the jokes can only get better here on in!! :lol:

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