She was a very pretty young lady and what a great, great smile, Reed told The Associated Press. Scandal also may ", In 1966, the Platters signed with Musicor Records. She was a very pretty young lady and what a great, great smile, Reed told The Associated Press. Tony Williams. Group, Inc. presented Bennett with a contract to buy the assets of "the singing group The Platters." In June 1953, Gunter left to join The Flairs and was replaced by lead vocalist Tony Williams. Lymon was 14 years old when he began to date Zola Taylor (Berry), lead singer of the chart-topping group the Platters in the mid-1950s. To distinguish his group from the offshoots started by former members, Ram added his name to that of the group. Taylor was the second of Frankie Lymons three wives. Waters of Philadelphia claimed to be Lymon's common-law wife during the mid-1960s, according to papers. In addition to her acting and singing, It topped both the American and British charts in The Platters-style arrangement. As you know, Why Do Fools Fall in Love was loosely based on Frankie Lymons life. 1989. audiences, the Platters helped launch doo wop music and influenced generations of vocal Structural Info Facts Filmography The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. Advertisement. In a dispute over money, Williams left the Platters in 1959 to pursue a solo career, and continued to work with Ram as his manager. Zola Taylor, who broke gender barriers as the first female member of the 1950s R&B group the Platters and later became entangled in a public soap opera as one In 1990, Taylor was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Platters. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The Platters success began to fizzle after 1959, when four members were arrested in a Cincinnati hotel and accused of using drugs and soliciting prostitutes. Wherever we go, fans bring old records wrapped up tight for me to sign. 1998. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. ', The True Story Behind 'Cocaine Bear': A 175-Pound Beast, a Dead Drug Smuggler in Gucci Loafers and More, Jonathan Majors Pitches a Rom-Com With Issa Rae: 'I Want to Run Through Central Park Trying to Beat Her to the Airport', The Weeknd Fires Back at Rolling Stone Report Claiming 'The Idol' Is in Turmoil: 'Did We Upset You? Despite their lack of chart success, The Platters were a profitable touring group, successful enough that the Penguins, coming off their #8 single "Earth Angel", asked Ram to manage them as well. Herb Reed, the last surviving original member of 1950s doo wop group The Platters, has died. It was soon followed by the No. two-sided hits. After the dispute settled, King was hired only to sing until a replacement for him was found. From 1955 to 1960, the Platters had four No. Mercury continued issuing Williams led Platters singles with "It's Magic" She claimed to have married Lymon in Mexicali, Mexico around 1965, but could not produce a marriage license. What do the letters D and E above the staff represent here? Nostalgia changed everything back, Taylor told The Times in 1990. She had a baby voice that everyone liked a big voice, but there was a sweetness and a little bit of bite to it, which was good, Steve Propes, co-author of L.A. Tony Williams1953 1960 Reed said he had been out of touch with Taylor since the early 1960s. She attributed the breakup to the Beatles-inspired upheaval of pop music. On television, fellow Drifters member Charlie Thomas usually lip-synched the songs that King had recorded with the Drifters. The drama was a focal point in the 1998 Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Halle Berry played Taylor. Scandal also may There was an immediate disagreement between Bennett and G.E.M., which filed a lawsuit to attain certain corporate assets, Bennett's personal property and the assets of the 1950s Platters. The all-male group had just signed with Mercury after its single Only You topped the charts and its manager thought they needed a female voice to soften their sound. In from LOS ANGELES, Zola Taylor, who broke gender barriers in the 1950s as a member of The Platters , harmonizing with her male colleagues on hits like The Great Pretender, has died, her nephew said Tuesday. The first recording session with Mercury included a re-recording of "Only Taylor left the Platters when the group disbanded in the early 1960s. Taylor left the Platters when the group disbanded in the early 60s. The first hearing, held in Philadelphia, was decided in favor of Waters being Lymons first wife. On July 3, 1955 "Only You" entered the charts and soon rose to #1 R&B and She also claimed to have Taylor led a colorful life, but the world wasn't prepared for her 1984 confession that she had an The summer of 1959 four male members of the group were arrested in Cincinnati and were The group had 40 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1967, including four number-one hits. Founding Platters member Herb Reed said he spotted Taylor, the sister of Cornell Gunter of the Coasters, rehearsing with a girl group in 1955 and knew immediately she had the charisma and vocal chops the band needed. Your IP: The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1952[1] and were initially managed by Federal Records A&R man Ralph Bass. She died on April 30, 2007 in Riverside, California. The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1952 and were initially managed by Federal Records A&R man Ralph Bass. The movie shows Frankie passing out on stage. Unhappy with the Platters sound in 1954, manager Buck Ram replaced one of the male singers and added Taylors contralto voice. He co-wrote and sang lead on the first Atlantic hit by the new version of the Drifters, There Goes My Baby (1959). Taylor was back in the spotlight in 1968, when she and two other women who claimed to be former teenage idol Frankie Lymons widow became embroiled in a bitter legal battle for his royalties. She said he had diabetes but had no other known health problems. That was the talk of the nation. She died on April 30, 2007 in Riverside, California, USA. its white cover record for the race in the Top Ten. Introduction. Which are the 3 crash tests that determine a safety rating? The current line up of the one legally authorized original Platters vocal group consists of Brian McIntosh, Leslie Mone, Erik Glenn & Lance Bernard Bryant. Bass then asked his friend, music entrepreneur, and songwriter Buck Ram, to coach the group in the hope of getting a hit record. [21][failed verification], Despite Ram and Bennett's assertions, it was later determined that Five Platters Inc., and Jean Bennett never had legitimate rights to The Platters name.[22][23]. Where can I find related materials in connection with Johann Joseph Fuxs The Study of Counterpoint? Who is the current lead singer of the Platters? This splintering of the group's line-up led to wrangling over The Platters' name, with injunctions, non-compete clauses, and multiple versions of the act touring at the same time. Zola Taylor, who was the first female member of the 1950s group the Platters, a Los Angeles-based quintet that was one of rocks first major R&B crossover acts, has died. The Platters are Kingsley Cousin Brian McIntosh, The Professor Lance Bernard Bryant, Leslie TEEF Mone, and Omar Scooby Ross. In January 2006, Las Vegas based G.E.M. The group's line-up splintered further: in 1964 Taylor left[15] and was consecutively replaced by Beverly Hansen Harris,[16] Barbara Randolph and, in 1965, by Sandra Dawn. Tony Williams, a former parking-lot attendant who crooned the 1950s hit songs Only You and The Great Pretender as the lead singer of the Platters, Tony Williams, the original lead singer of the Platters whose renditions of Only You and The Great Pretender propelled the R&B group to stardom in the 1950s, died yesterday at age 64. R&B Vocal Groups: 1945 to 1965.. She let him live in her hillside house with instructions to pay bills out of an allowance forwarded to him by her attorney. Required fields are marked *. The groups next hit, The Great Pretender, raced to the No. Teaching yourself piano as a support instrument only? 1 pop hits, including The Great Pretender. The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1952. 1 in 1961 and again in 1987 when it was the theme song to the film of the same name. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. She was the cutest little girl and had that spark. Why did Tony Williams leave the Platters? The Platters were the king of the pop vocal groups in the late Fifties, indelibly linked to doo-wop even though they didn't utilize the style. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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All of the sudden, other groups started looking for girls.. From 1955 to 1960, the Platters had four No. ', Chris Pine Admits It Did Look Like Harry Styles Spit on Me, but He Did Not: The Vitriol Against Dont Worry Darling Was Ridiculous, HBO's Leading Man: Casey Bloys on Perfecting 'The Last of Us,' HBO Max Streaming Merger and Axing Shows, A24 Sweeps Film Categories at the 2023 SAG Awards as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Breaks Record for Most Wins, Jean Smart 'Doing Well, Recovering' Following Heart Procedure, Says Hacks Co-Star Hannah Einbinder, Ke Huy Quan Becomes First Asian Male Film Winner at SAG Awards for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. played on, but he was determined to get it recorded because he knew the song could become Who did Frankie Lymon have a Tony Williams formed his version of The Platters in 1971 and announced a worldwide tour. Tony Williams - lead replaced by Sonny Turner 1960 Taylor Featuring a smooth sophisticated sound and the superb lead tenor of Tony Williams, the Zola Taylor had a big house in Baldwin Hills. entered into an agreement with Sonny Turner, who'd been the lead singer of the Platters from 1960 to 1970. married Lymon in Tijuana in1965, but couldn't produce a marriage license. Sounding like the Four Tops, the Taylor, who had been bedridden following several strokes, died Monday at Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside County from complications of pneumonia, said her nephew Alfie Robinson. As the members left Ram bought their shares and eventually owned the Platter's recorded in France while The Platters on tour. After achieving success in her professional career, Zola Taylor quit The Platters. 1958. 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