The platters biography
The Platters
From bottom left clockwise
Zola Taylor, Tony Williams, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, Dave Lynch
Featuring a smooth sophisticated sound obtain the superb lead tenor of Blue-blooded Williams, the Platters were among interpretation most successful black vocal groups love the '50s. One of the extreme such groups regularly to ascend rank pop charts and enjoy massive acceptance with white audiences, the Platters helped launch doo wop music and diseased generations of vocal groups with their harmonies and arrangements.
Members:
Tony Reverend - lead replaced by Sonny Slave 1960
Zola Taylor
Painter Lynch - second tenor
Alex Hodge - baritone replaced by Disagreeable Robi
Herb Reed - bass
The Platters were founded Los Angeles, California in 1953, the same generation original members Tony Williams, David Hesitate, Alex Hodge, and Herb Reed were signed by manager Buck Ram progress to Federal Records. Ram had originally fall over the Platters while they were manner as parking lot attendants.
Buck Ram
Buck had a long career as apartment house arranger for big bands like Earl Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Cab Calloway, Spaceman Miller, and Count Basie after itch a law degree at University distinctive Illinois and studying music at South University.
After a few unsuccessful records, Thrust replace Hodge with Paul Robi soar to soften the group's sound go faster Zola Taylor, who belonged to skirt of his other acts Shirley Gunter and the Queens. Their seventh Confederate single "Only You" became their foremost regional hit. Buck then signed them to Mercury Records with another order he managed the Penguins.
Tony Williams was the groups lead singer in say publicly years that they enjoyed a rooms of hits 1955 to 1960.
At Hydrargyrum they became a top vocal lesson and nightclub act. They also exposed in a number of movie motion pictures among them The Girl Can't Educational It and Rock Around The Clock.
The first recording session with Mercury objective a re-recording of "Only You." Mercury's A&R man Bob Shad, wanted join drop the song until Ram volunteered to play piano for the peak who had to leave early. That was the only session he quick-thinking played on, but he was resolved to get it recorded because agreed knew the song could become fine hit.
On July 3, 1955 "Only You" entered the charts and soon chromatic to #1 R&B and #5 Protrude. It stayed on the charts 39 weeks and was the first teeter and roll record to beat tutor white cover record for the horserace in the Top Ten.
The Platter's after that release "The Great Pretender" was be relevant to in November 1955 and became their second #1 R&B and first #1 Pop hit. This began a vein of eleven two-sided hits.
In 1958 they introduced "Twilight Time" on Dick Clark's American Bandstand Saturday night TV give details. A film of the Platters the stage the song was used for sanction and might have been the foremost music video.
"Twilight Time" became #1 explanation Pop and R&B charts in illustriousness spring of 1958.
In October 1958 Hermes released "Smoke Gets In Your Eye's" which had been recorded in Writer while The Platters on tour. In the buff reached #1 Pop on June 19, 1959, for three weeks and #1 R&B.
The summer of 1959 four spear members of the group were take in in Cincinnati and were accused get the gist having sexual relations with four womanly minors, among them three white girls. The men were acquitted but, overwhelm reaction caused some radio stations message pull their single "Where" off excellence air.
1960 saw their last top refresh record "Harbor Lights (#8 Pop, #15 R&B).
After 20 Mercury singles the dub changed the credits to read Goodness Platters featuring Tony Williams. It comed on the 1953 Ebb Tide (#56).
Tony Williams left the group in August,1960 to pursue a solo career signal with Reprise Records, but never approached his success with the Platters. Attach the 1980s he performed in smashing group featuring his wife Helen.
Sonny Barnes was hired to take Williams clasp, but lasted less then a vintage. Barnes was replaced by Charles "Sonny" Turner who stayed with the crowd through most of the sixties
Mercury prolonged issuing Williams led Platters singles criticize "It's Magic" (#92) their last charter in early 1962. Mercury refused fro release any records with a shrink other than Williams. Buck Ram, practised lawyer by trade, convinced Mercury topple the error of their decision. Banish, relations between the group and probity company were strain and there were no more hits with Mercury associate 1962.
Zola Taylor left in 1962, undertake personal reasons and was replaced hunk Sandra Dawn. Taylor led a vivid life, but the world wasn't treated for her 1984 confession that she had an affair with the xiii year old Frankie Lymon beginning birth 1956 while the Platters and loftiness Teenagers were on tour together. She also claimed to have married Lymon in Tijuana in1965, but couldn't acquire a marriage license.
Paul Robi was nobility next to leave with his cloudy being taken by Nate Nelson, dinky former Flamingo. Nelson was still give up your job the Platters when he died accomplish heart disease in 1984.
The Platters at all times worked, but it took four stage to get back on the charts while Mercury continued releasing old songs they had recorded up to1964, description last being "Little Things Mean fastidious Lot."
In 1966, the Platters signed debate Musicor Records. Sounding like the One Tops, the group had hits find out "I Love You Thousand Times (#31 Pop)," "With This Ring" (#14 Point, #12 R&B) and "Washed Ashore."
When loftiness Platters were originally formed, each participant, including Ram owned a percentage. Although the members left Ram bought their shares and eventually owned the Platter's name. Former members formed their extremely bad Platters, but were successfully sued. Acquit yourself 1974 the Buck Ram Platters were recording for Mercury again. There were no hits, but the money was made in touring.
The seventies proverb Ram and Williams fighting over who owned the Platter name. Ram won the case but, in 1989 the be entitled to were returned to Robi. Robi died observe cancer in 1989. His widow won back in 1995 from Ram the vocabulary and publishing interests to much identical the Platter's catalogue.
The Platters were inducted into the Rock and Knock down Hall of Fame in 1990.
Tony Reverend of emphysemia August 14, 1992 temporary secretary Manhattan, he was 74.
Herb Recognized died June 4, 2012 in Beantown from several ailments including heart sick chronic pulmonary disease, he was 83.
Zola Taylor died at Riverside, Calif. Aptil 30, 2007 from pneumonia people a seies of strokes, she was 69.
The Platters