Earl Van Dyke (July 8,1930 – September 18,1992)
Nick names: Chunk Of Funk,Big Funk
Instruments: Hammond B-3 organ,Steinway piano,Wurlitzer electric piano,Fender Rhodes.
After working on the "Chitlin' Circuit",and going on tour with Aretha Franklin and Lloyd Price,Earl's aggressive playing style found a new home down in the Motown "Snakepit".
He was a natural leader and became the person who would convey the ideas of the producers and arrangers to the rest of the musicans.
The management at Motown also knew Earl was the only one who could be relied upon to find any other of the more "wayward" Funk Brothers who were at one of their favorite local watering holes.
Earl also played the local nightspots like the Chit-Chat on a regular basis along with mainly Jamerson,Robert White and Uriel Jones and ideas that sprung from these more relaxed settings were often carried over at the studio session.
After Motown Earl toured with Freda Payne before returning home to teach music in the Detroit public school system.