American solo artist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. Co-founder of the Vando label. Often thought of as a disco producer because of his work in the 1970s. Van Allen Cinton McCoy was born on January 16, 1940. He was in a doo wop group called The Starlighters with his brother Norman McCoy in the early days. They released the single "The Birdland". As a solo artist, he released numerous singles throughout the 1960s to the 1970s. He also wrote hits for and produced for many other artists. His last album was The Lonely Dancer. He died of a heart attack at age 39 on July 6, 1979.