The Platters

Coordinates	45°47′45″N24°09′08″N
Name	The Platters
Background	group_or_band
Alias	The Buck Ram Platters, Herb Reed's Platters, Herb Reed and The Platters, Monroe Powell and The Platters, Sonny Turner former Lead Singer of The Platters
Origin	Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre	R&B;, soul, rock'n'roll, doo-wop
Years active	1953 - present
Label	Federal Records, Mercury Records, Musicor Records, Antler Records
Url	theplattersmp.com
Past members	Herb ReedTony WilliamsDavid LynchPaul RobiZola TaylorAlex HodgeCornell GunterJoe JeffersonGaynel HodgeSonny TurnerNate NelsonSandra DawnMonroe PowellGene WilliamsRitchie Jones

The Platters are a doo-wop vocal group which was formed in 1953 at the beginning of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound created by Buck Ram was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre. The original group members were Alex Hodge, Cornell Gunther, David Lynch, Joe Jefferson, Gaynel Hodge and Herb Reed. In 1970, when all original members had left, the name of the group was changed to The Buck Ram Platters.

After signing with Buck Ram, the act went through several personnel changes before hitting the charts, with the most successful incarnation comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.

Band formation and early years

The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. The group had a contract with Federal Records but had found little success before meeting music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. The band recorded a series of singles backing Linda Hayes before Ram made some changes to the lineup, most notably the addition of lead vocalist Tony Williams (Linda Hayes' brother) and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in the R&B;/gospel style, scoring a few minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded during their Federal tenure, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.

Despite their lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group—successful enough that The Penguins, coming off their #2 single "Earth Angel", asked Ram to manage them as well. With the Penguins in hand, Ram was able to parlay Mercury Records' interest into a 2-for-1 deal. To sign the Penguins, Ram insisted, Mercury also had to take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins would never have a hit for the label.

The Platters name has appeared on a Las Vegas marquee longer than that of any other act beginning in 1955 when they opened the Moulin Rouge moved to the Flamingo for two weeks and went back to close the Moulin Rouge. They opened the Maxim, did sixteen weeks a year at the Four Queens for ten years, and played most other major properties including the International before the name was changed to The Las Vegas Hilton. In 1994 Jean Bennett licensed the name to a tribute group for a show at the Sahara. That show ran for 15 years.

Charting hits

Convinced by Jean Bennett and Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the Platters re-record the song during their first session for Mercury. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B; charts for seven weeks. The follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas by Buck Ram, exceeded the success of their debut. It became the Platters' first national #1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B; hit, with an 11-week run atop that chart. In 1956, The Platters appeared in the first major motion picture based around rock and roll, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender".

The Platters' unique vocal style, which evolved because the singers could not do the close harmonies like the Mills Brothers that Ram was looking for, had touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including two more Top 100 number one hits, one Hot 100 number one hit, and more modest hits such as "I'm Sorry" (#11) and "He's Mine" (#23) in 1957, "Enchanted" (#12) in 1959, and "The Magic Touch" (#4) in 1956. The Platters soon hit upon the successful formula of updating older standards, such as "My Prayer", "Twilight Time", "Harbor Lights", "To Each His Own", "If I Didn't Care" and Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock and roll" record. It topped both the American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement.

What set The Platters apart from most other groups of the era was that Ram had the group incorporate in 1955. Each member of the group received a 20% share in the stock, full royalties and their Social Security was paid. As group members left, Ram and his business partner, Jean Bennett, bought their stock which gave them ownership of the "Platters" name, which would later become significant.

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. The Platters were the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. They were also the only act to have three songs included on the American Graffiti soundtrack that sparked an oldies revival in the early to mid-1970s: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".

Changing lineup

The group's lineup has changed many times. The original lineup in 1953 included lead vocalist Cornell Gunter, Herb Reed, Alex Hodge, Joe Jefferson, and David Lynch. This lineup changed when the group signed with Ram, who built the group around tenor Tony Williams' distinctive and versatile voice and his ability to bring life to Ram's songs. Within a year, Jefferson, and Gunther were out and a female, Zola Taylor, was added by Ram. In October 1954, according to author Peter A. Grendysa, baritone Alex Hodge, who had written some of the songs with Federal, such as Hey Now and Voo-Vee-Ah-Bee, was fired from the band by Ram after having been accused of possession of marijuana. However, according to Jean L. Bennett memories, Hodge was replaced by Ram at the urging of Tony Wiliams and Herb Reed saying that Alex had possession of marijuana and a letter was sent to the record company and bookers saying that Alex was let go for bouncing a fifteen dollar check.. He was immediately replaced by Paul Robi. This lineup - the one remembered for the group's biggest and most successful hits - lasted until 1960.

As a group, the Platters began to have some difficulties with the public after 1959 when the four male members were arrested in Cincinnati on drug and prostitution charges. Reed said he lost contact with Taylor shortly after this time. Although none were convicted, their professional reputation was seriously damaged and US radio stations started removing their records from playlists forcing the group to return to Europe for bookings.

During that time soloist Williams left for a solo career, and was replaced by tenor Sonny Turner. Mercury refused to issue further Platters releases without Williams on lead vocals, provoking a lawsuit between the label and manager Ram. The label spent two years releasing old Williams-era material until the group's contract lapsed.

As the group's lineup splintered further, endless wrangling over the lucrative "Platters" name began, with injunctions, non-compete clauses and multiple versions of the act touring at the same time. Williams would lead his own Platters group, as would Zola Taylor (who left in 1964) and Paul Robi (who departed in 1965). The Buck Ram Platters had the strongest claim to the name. Since Ram had built the group to showcase his songs, he added his name to that of The Platters to distinguish his vision from that of the pretenders. Despite the confusion, Ram's Platters lineup, with lead vocalist Sonny Turner, Herb Reed, David Lynch, Nate Nelson (former lead voice of The Flamingos and replacement for Robi), and Barbara Randolph (later replaced by Sandra Dawn), signed to Musicor Records and enjoyed a short chart renaissance in 1966-67, with the comeback singles "I Love You 1000 Times", "With This Ring", and the Motown-influenced "Washed Ashore". Sonny Turner sang the lead on these 3 records.

Herb Reed, the final member of the original Platters, resigned in 1969. He would eventually lead an "official" Platters group under license from The Five Platters, Inc. Nelson had left in 1967, and later worked with Herb Reed's group until suffering a fatal heart attack in 1984. Dawn left in 1969.

Sonny Turner left in 1970 and was replaced by Monroe Powell, (Turner led his own Platters group starting in 1970.) Powell remained a constant member from 1970 to 1995, amid many other lineup changes. That year, a dispute between Powell and owner/manager Jean Bennett (who had purchased Personality Productions, the booking/management arm of The Platters business, from Ram in 1966) led to the two parting ways. At the time, the group's lineup was in limbo, leaving one person, Kenn Johnson, as the only other group member. Powell and Johnson continue touring as "The Platters", with Bennett hiring five new singers to be the "Buck Ram Platters," with lead Myles Savage.

Legal battles

A profusion of legal challenges has ensued among the many groups of Platters. Those looking to hear the classic lineup of songs had their pick of approved, disputed, and ersatz Platters, including Sonny Turner's, Zola Taylor's, Ritchie Jones' (member 1984-85), Milton Bullock's (member 1967-70), the late Paul Robi's (managed by his wife), Jean Bennett's "Buck Ram Platters," Monroe Powell's, Herb Reed's, and several other groups with no current ties to the original group (many had once contained former members, who were retired or deceased).

Monroe Powell, who had been touring under the Platters name, was sued by Jean Bennett for breach of contract. Powell lost the suit. Powell appealed and eventually won with Jean Bennett agreeing that Powell would be able to have his billing as The Platters as long as his name was prominetly displayed. In 1999, 2002 and again in 2004 the court ruled that Jean Bennett has the common law right to the name. Powell continues to tour worldwide.

Shortly before Paul Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and the right to use The Platters' name. Those rights were stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Herb Reed. In 2002, Herb Reed's exclusive trademark rights were legally rescinded and the common law trademark was returned to The Five Platters, Inc. and Jean Bennett. The following are the only groups approved by the court: The Buck Ram Platters, Herb Reed and His Platters, Monroe Powell and The Platters, Sonny Turner former lead singer of The Platters. Any group performing simply as "The Platters" is bogus in light of the court ruling.

Herb Reed continues to tour with his group, "Herb Reed's Platters" which is Federally trademarked, and his permanent license since 1987. In 2007, he discussed the abundance of touring Platters groups: "I have to laugh because when you ask me how I feel about it, I'm irate, I'm infuriated... I've lost 25 weeks of work a year."

Hit singles

| *"I'll Never Smile Again" also made the US AC Charts at #7 on 7/61

References

External links

The Platters Information Site

Platters article by Marv Goldberg

Monroe Powell

Buck Ram Platters Site

Buck Ram alternate site

Jean Bennett web site

Herb Reed and The Platters web site

'The Platters' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page

The Platters - by Dr. Frank Hoffmann

The Platters - Biography

Category:1950s music groups Category:African American singers Category:American vocal groups Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Doo-wop groups Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1953