Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke (b. West Plains, Missouri, December 13, 1925 – ) – Actor, singer, and dancer. Born in Missouri, Dick van Dyke grew up in Danville, Illinois. From 1938 to 1940 (early to mid-teen years), his family lived in Crawfordsville, Indiana, but they returned to Danville, where he finished high school. While Dick Van Dyke’s illustrious career spans over fifty years, some of his most important performances have been in musicals. His Tony Award winning performance of Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie gave his career a lift in 1960, and his starring roles in the movie versions of Mary Poppins (1964) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) have defined his career as much as any other performances have with the exception of his leads on the Dick van Dyke Show (1961-66) and Diagnosis: Murder (1993-2001). Often praised for his singing attributes in his famous musical roles, Dick van Dyke has been involved with Vantastix, an A Cappella group based in Los Angeles, since 2000. In 2008, the group released a children’s CD entitled Put on a Happy Face. In addition, the group has performed on Larry King Live, the TV Land Awards, and three games of the L.A. Lakers.