On this day (October 4) in 1929, Leroy Frank Van Dyke was born in Mora, Missouri. Getting his start in country music, his career has spanned seven decades, as he continues touring well into his 90s. Throughout that time, he has recorded more than 500 songs, including 1956’s “The Auctioneer” and the 1961 country-pop smash “Walk On By”. Today, we’re reflecting on the life and career of Leroy Van Dyke in honor of his 97th birthday.
Before he became a successful country artist, Van Dyke had aspirations of becoming a farmer. He earned a degree in agricultural journalism at the University of Missouri, where he also learned guitar.
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Leroy Van Dyke Got His First Taste of Songwriting in the Military
Post-college, Leroy Van Dyke worked as a newspaper reporter until he was drafted into the Korean War. While stationed in Korea, he would perform for his peers to pass the time.
Van Dyke also began writing songs during this time, including the song that would launch him to country music fame — “The Auctioneer”.
Co-written with Buddy Black, “The Auctioneer” draws on Van Dyke’s real-life experiences as an auctioneer, as well as those of his second cousin, Ray Sims.
“He was probably the best cattle auctioneer that ever walked,” Van Dyke said of Sims. “He was eight years older than I am. The only thing that’s not true (in the song) is it says there was a boy in Arkansas. He was not from Arkansas, but nothing rhymes with Missouri.”
He first performed the song live for his fellow troops on the same billing as Marilyn Monroe. After his time in the military came to an end, Van Dyke performed “The Auctioneer” in a talent show held by a Chicago radio station.
That performance landed him a contract with Dot Records, which officially released the song in September 1956. Selling 2.5 million copies, “The Auctioneer” reached the U.S. country top 10 and the pop top 20.
The Next Big Hit
In 1961, Leroy Van Dyke moved to Nashville and signed with Mercury Records. Among his earliest releases for the label was “Walk On By”, released the same year.
Written by Kendall Hayes, “Walk On By” soared to the top of the U.S. country songs chart. Also peaking at number five on the pop chart, it held steady at number one for 19 weeks — a record that stood for 51 years until Florida Georgia Line surpassed it in 2013 with “Cruise”.
“I knew it was a good record when we walked out of the studio that night, but I had no idea that it’d do what it did,” Van Dyke has said.
Where is He Now?
Releasing music through the early 1980s, Leroy Van Dyke also appeared in the 1967 film What Am I Bid? and co-hosted the widely-syndicated Country Crossroads radio program for 10 years.
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A member of the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame, Van Dyke continues touring even today. He also raises premium quality Arabian mules at his 1,000-acre ranch near Sedalia, Missouri.
Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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