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 died of a heart attack at age 39 on July 6, 1979. 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.