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{{Short description|Canadian actor (1934–2003)}}
{{about|the Canadian actor|the musician|Billy Van (musician)|the vaudeville entertainer|Billy B. Van}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Billy Van
| image = Billy Van.jpg
| caption =
| birthname = William Allan Van Evera
| birth_date = 11 August 1934<ref>''UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960''</ref>
| birth_place = [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{death date|df=yes|2003|1|8|1934|8|11}} (age 68)
| death_place = [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada
| alma_mater = [[Bloor Collegiate Institute]]
| occupation = Actor, [[sketch comedy|sketch comedian]], singer
| yearsactive = 1950s–2000
| website =
| spouses = Joan Cooper<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>Patty Brooks<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>Annette Fike<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>Claudia Converse<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>Susan Dimitrakopoulos<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??)
| children = 2
}}
'''William Allan Van Evera''' (11 August 1934 – 8 January 2003), known by the stage name '''Billy Van''', was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] comedian, actor, and singer.
==Biography==
Van was born in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], and dropped out of [[Bloor Collegiate Institute]] in Grade 11 to pursue a career as an entertainer. Starting as a youth, he and his four brothers toured [[North America]] as a singing act called the Van Evera Brothers. After leaving his brothers and dropping "Evera" from his name, Van performed as a singer, leading the Billy Van Four and later the Billy Van Singers, and making frequent appearances on Canadian variety television shows such as ''Fancy Free''.<ref name=fancyfree>{{cite web| title = Billy Van Four To Be Regulars on Fancy Free| url=http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18691/swing_easy/articles/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220140508/http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18691/swing_easy/articles/| url-status=dead| archive-date=20 February 2012| access-date = 10 November 2009}}</ref> The single "I Miss You" / "The Last Sunrise" by the Billy Van Four, released on the Rodeo International label, peaked at number 29 on the [[CHUM Chart]] in Toronto in March 1961.<ref>Ron Hall, ''The Chum Chart Book: 1957–1983'', 1984, p. 190.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-03-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - March 27, 1961}}</ref>
As a comedian, Van gained national attention in 1963 as a performer on [[CBC Television]]'s late-night satire programme ''[[Nightcap (1963 TV series)|Nightcap]]''. In 1966, after completion of the third season, he threatened to quit the show when the CBC wouldn't give him a requested raise from {{CA$|400|link=yes}} (equivalent to ${{Inflation|CA|400|1966|r=-1|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|CA}}) to $500 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|CA|500|1966|r=-1|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|CA}}) per episode. At that time, a columnist in ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' called Van "perhaps the most talented variety performer ever developed by the CBC."<ref>"Thanks for nothing," Dennis Braithwaite, ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', 6 September 1966, p. 25.</ref> After the dispute became public, the CBC capitulated and Van continued on the show for its final season. Van appeared in a six-part spinoff series, ''Flemingdon Park'', based on a recurring ''Nightcap'' skit, that aired at the beginning of 1967. ''Nightcap'' was cancelled in May 1967. In the United States he appeared in many commercials for [[Colt 45 (malt liquor)|Colt 45 Malt Liquor]] as a man sitting at a table waiting for a drink, unfazed by everything going on around him; Van starred in these commercials throughout the 60s and 70s, and won a [[Clio Award]] for one of these commercials in 1975.<ref name=clio>{{cite web| title = Clio Awards| url = http://www.clioawards.com/archive/| access-date = 9 November 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130813191004/http://www.clioawards.com/archive/| archive-date = 13 August 2013| url-status = dead}}</ref>
Through the 1970s, Van was a regular member of the "home team" on the [[CHCH-TV]] [[charades]] series ''[[Party Game (game show)|Party Game]]''. In 1971, he began making ''[[The Hilarious House of Frightenstein]]'', also for CHCH in [[Hamilton, Ontario]]. It is this show for which he is best known, and it has developed a cult following. 130 episodes were produced, and Van played almost every lead character.<ref name=chtv>{{cite web| title = CH TV Hamilton History| url = http://www.canada.com/chtv/hamilton/info/history.html| access-date = 29 January 2007| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060129104620/http://www.canada.com/chtv/hamilton/info/history.html| archive-date = 29 January 2006}}</ref> The characters included the Count (Count Frightenstein, for which he put on a fake [[Bela Lugosi]]-type voice); Grizelda the Ghastly Gourmet (an old witch with a cauldron who did a cooking show); the Wolfman, who, in an imitation of DJ [[Wolfman Jack]] would play records, and dance to them, while wearing a werewolf costume (rock songs from [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[The Archies]], or other bands of the era were played in their entirety); the Librarian, an ancient bearded character who tried "to horrify you" with benign fairy tales from dusty old cobwebbed volumes, then would be disappointed when the unseen viewers were not horrified; Dr. Petvet, who would bring animals onto a set and talk about them (his catchphrase was "Pets are friends"); and the Oracle, who would give astrological readings, and answer fake letters from viewers while wearing a large headdress and speaking in a Peter Lorre voice.
Van was a regular performer on ''The [[Ray Stevens]] Show'', ''The [[Ken Berry]] "Wow" Show'', ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'', ''[[The Bobby Vinton Show]]'', and the ''[[Hudson Brothers]] Razzle Dazzle Show'', most of which were co-produced by [[Chris Bearde]], who had been a writer-performer on ''Nightcap''. In 1982, he co-hosted [[TVOntario]]'s ''[[Bits and Bytes]]'', a show devoted to the usage of early (mostly 8-bit) personal computers, a role returned to 1991 in ''Bits and Bytes 2''. Van narrated the animated program ''[[Eureka! (Canadian TV series)|Eureka!]]'', which taught children about physics and chemistry. Van also appeared occasionally in the Canadian TV show ''[[Bizarre (TV series)|Bizarre]]'', hosted by [[John Byner]].
He had a triple heart bypass in 1998.<ref name=TS09Jan2003>{{cite news | title=Billy Van was able to see funny side of Canadian TV ; Versatile comic dies at 68 after battle with cancer Returned home after '70s success on U.S. television | first=Chris | last=Sorenson | work=[[Toronto Star]] | date=9 January 2003 | page=A17 }}</ref>
Van supported the [[Canadian Comedy Awards]] with promotional appearances from the awards' inception in 2000.<ref name=SS9Jan2003>{{cite news |title=Veteran comic Billy Van dies of cancer at age 68 |work=[[Sudbury Star]] |date=9 January 2003 |page=A8 |agency=[[The Canadian Press]]}}</ref>
He was diagnosed in December 2001 with [[esophageal cancer]], of which he died at age 68 on 8 January 2003 at Toronto's [[Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre|Sunnybrook Hospital]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran TV comic Billy Van dies of cancer in hospital |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |work=[[Nanaimo Daily News]] |date=2003-01-09 |page=5 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nanaimo-daily-news-obituary-for-billy-va/133563137/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=CBC23Mar2005>{{cite news |title=Inductee: Billy Van |first=Andrew |last=Clark |work=[[CBC News]] |date=23 March 2005 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/walkoffame/billyvan.html |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> He was survived by his wife Susan and two daughters, Tracy and Robin, from previous marriages.<ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran Canadian actor Billy Van dies |work=[[CBC News]] |date=2003-01-09 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/veteran-canadian-actor-billy-van-dies-1.411352 |access-date=2024-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403132919/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/veteran-canadian-actor-billy-van-dies-1.411352 |archive-date=2022-04-03 |url-status=live}}</ref>
One of Billy Van's brothers, [[Jack Van Evera]], also became an actor and appeared on many Canadian television series such as ''[[The Forest Rangers]]'' and ''[[Adventures in Rainbow Country]]''.▼
▲One of
Billy Van wrote his autobiography "Second Banana," in 1997, which was published online on 11 August 2018. It is an entertaining, humorous and informative journey of his career. Second Banana is also an historical look at life in Toronto in the 40's and 50's and the infancy of Canadian television; a behind-the-scenes insight from a performer's perspective and reveals the often not-so-glamorous side of being an entertainer.
In December 2020, author [[Greg Oliver]] teamed with Stacey Case and Van's two daughters, Robin Edwards Mills and Tracy Van Evera, to see the publication of the biography, ''Who's The Man? Billy Van!''
==Discography==
===Billy Van Four===
*1961: "The Last Sunrise" / "I Miss You" (Rodeo label, Canada)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-03-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - March 27, 1961}}</ref>
===Billy Van Singers===
*1967: "[[Spider-Man (theme song)|Spider-Man]]", theme song of the 1967 Canadian-American animated series
*1968: ''Polydor Presents The Billy Van Singers'' LP (Polydor)
*1969: ''"Fall In" A Fun Fashion Musical'' (DuPont Canada/Chelsea Records) on 1 track
*1970: "Four Seasons", [[RPM (magazine)|RPM MOR CanCon]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6919.pdf| title=RPM MOR CanCon - May 2, 1970}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Movies===▼
*1982: ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1982 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (voice)▼
===Television series===
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*
*
*
*1970: ''The [[Ray Stevens]] Show''
*1970–1980: ''[[Party Game (game show)|Party Game]]''
*1971: ''[[Rollin' on the River (TV series)|Rollin' on the River]]'' (with [[Kenny Rogers]] and [[The First Edition (band)|The First Edition]])
*1971: ''[[The Hilarious House of Frightenstein]]''
*1972: ''
*1972–1973: ''[[Waterville Gang]]'' (voice)
*
*1974: ''[[The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show]]''
*1974: ''
*
*1976: ''[[The Sonny and Cher Show]]''
*
*1980: ''[[Eureka! (Canadian TV series)|Eureka!]]'' (voice)
*1980: ''[[Bizarre (TV series)|Bizarre]]''
*
*1983: ''[[Bits and Bytes]]'' (host)
*1984: ''[[The Littlest Hobo]]'' (TV Series) Episode FireHorse (part 1 & 2) (Guest Star as Fire Chief Danford)
*1987: ''[[I'll Take Manhattan (TV miniseries)|I'll Take Manhattan]]''
*1991: ''[[Bits and Bytes]]'' series 2 (host)▼
*1988: ''How Do You Do?'' (as robot (TVOntatrio))
*1989–1995: ''[[Join In!]]'' (TV Series) (voice)
*1998: ''Stories From My Childhood'' (voice)
}}
===Television movies===
*1985: ''
*1986: ''
*
*1992: ''The Trial of Red Riding Hood''
*1995: ''[[Net Worth (1995 film)|Net Worth]]''
▲===Movies===
▲*1982: ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1982 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (voice)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:20th-century Canadian
[[Category:
[[Category:Canadian male film actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male television actors]]
[[Category:Comedians from Toronto]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Canada]]
[[Category:Male actors from Toronto]]
[[Category:Singers from Toronto]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian television personalities]]
[[Category:Canadian sketch comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian comedians]]
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