Earl Van Dyke

Earl Van Dyke (July 8, 1930 – September 18, 1992)[1] was an American soul musician, most notable as the main keyboardist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

[1] Van Dyke, who was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States,[1] was preceded as keyboardist and bandleader of the Funk Brothers by Joe Hunter.

In the early 1960s, he also recorded as a jazz organist with saxophonists Fred Jackson and Ike Quebec for the Blue Note label.

Besides his work as the session keyboardist on Motown hits such as "Bernadette" by the Four Tops, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Where Did Our Love Go" by the Supremes, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "Runaway Child, Running Wild" by the Temptations, "My Guy" by Mary Wells and "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder, Van Dyke performed with a small band as an opening act for several Motown artists, and released instrumental singles and albums himself.

His musical influences included Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Barry Harris.