The Platters

The Platters started out as a Los Angeles based Black doo wop group with little identity of their own to make them stand out from the pack. They started out making their first records for Federal, a subsidiary of Cincinnati's King Records. These early sides don't sound anything like the better-known sides that would eventually emerge from this group, instead merely aping the current R&B trends and styles of the day. What changed their fortunes can be reduced down to one very important name, their mentor, manager, producer, songwriter and vocal coach, Buck Ram. Ram took what many would say was a run-of-the-mill R&B doo wop vocal group and turned them into stars and one of the most enduring and lucrative groups of all time. By 1954, Ram was already running a talent agency in Los Angeles, writing and arranging for publisher Mills Music, managing the Three Suns -- a pop group with some success -- and working with his protégés, the Penguins.

The Platters seemed like a good addition to his stable. After getting them out of their Federal contract, Ram placed them with the burgeoning national independent label Mercury Records (at the same time he brought over the Penguins following their success with "Earth Angel"), automatically getting them into pop markets through the label's distribution contacts alone. The Ram started honing in on the group's strengths and weaknesses.

The first thing he did was put the lead vocal status squarely on the shoulders of lead tenor Tony Williams. Williams' emoting power was turned up full blast with the group (now augmented with Zola Taylor from Shirley Gunter and the Queens) working as very well structured vocal support framing his every note. With Ram's pop songwriting classics as its musical palette, the group quickly became a pop and R&B success, eventually earning the distinction of being the first Black act of the era to top the pop charts. Considered the most romantic of all the doo wop groups (i.e., the ultimate in 'make out music'), hit after hit came tumbling forth in a seemingly effortless manner: "Only You," "The Great Pretender," "My Prayer," "Twilight Time," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Harbor Lights," all of them establishing the Platters as the classiest of all.

Williams struck out on his own in 1961 and, by decades' end, the group had disbanded with various members starting up their own version of the Platters. This bit of franchising now extends into the present day, with an estimated 125 sanctioned versions of 'the original Platters' out on the oldies show circuit.

In 1953, bass singer Herb Reed put together a group of four men and called them "The Platters." Herb got the idea from a disc jockey referring to records as platters. The four men in the very beginning were Herb Reed, Joe Jefferson, Cornell Gunther, and Alex Hodge. They were just having fun, and entered amateur shows and always won first prize with Herb singing the lead. The first TV appearance was on a show called Ebony Showcase with Cornell Gunther singing lead on a swing version of "Old McDonald Had A Farm." Months later, David Lynch replaced Joe Jefferson and Tony Williams replaced Cornell Gunther. While at an amateur show, Ralph Bass from Federal Records saw them perform with Herb singing lead. Bass signed the group to their first recording contract. Late in 1953, Alex Hodge came to the group and said there was a songwriter from Chicago who wanted to meet them. The songwriter happened to be Buck Ram. The group signed a management contract with Buck Ram.

Early in 1954, Ram thought it would be a good idea to add a female to the group, and as luck would have it Zola Taylor was rehearsing at Alex Hodge's house, with Cornell Gunther's sister, Shirley (a group called "The Queens".) Shortly after meeting the group, Zola joined "The Platters." In August of 1954, Paul Robi replaced Alex Hodge.

In 1955, "The Platters" signed a recording contract with Mercury Records. "The Platters" ended up putting Mercury on the International map. "The Platters" recorded just under 400 songs, sold well over 89 Million records, performed in over 91 countries, and received over two hundred and thirty awards from all over the world. "The Platters" have appeared in twenty-seven movies, some you may remember: "Rock Around The Clock," "The Girl Can't Help It" (Jane Mansfield,) "Europe By Night," "Girls Town" (Paul Anka,) "Carnival Rock," and twenty-two more in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, and Israel. "The Platters" were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

There is only one original member, Herb Reed, left to carry on the good will of the name "The Platters!" On September 29, 1997, the Federal District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, ruled that Herb Reed owns and has the exclusive right to use the mark "The Platters." On April 2, 1999 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Nevada judgement . Herb Reed is the only original member still performing.