The Platters

The Platters are an American rhythm and blues vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal bands of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act has gone through multiple line-ups over the years, earning it the branding tag "Many Voices One Name", with the most successful incarnation comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, naming member Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor. The Platters had 40 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1967, including four number-one hits. In 1990, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group continues to perform around the world with "Herb Reed Enterprises" (an LLC set up by Reed in response to numerous fake Platters groups) owning the rights and trademark to the name.The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1952 and were initially managed by Federal Records A&R man Ralph Bass. The original group consisted of teenagers Alex Hodge, his brother Gaynel, Curtis Williams, Joe Jefferson, and Cornell Gunter. Ralph Bass replaced Gunter with Tony Williams, and Herb Reed joined the group in 1953 after his discharge from the U.S. Army in December 1952, as a replacement for Jefferson. Reed named the group while sitting around the kitchen table at the Hodges' home with the others in the group. He was inspired by Mrs. Hodge placing a plate of cookies on the kitchen table where the group was sitting trying to find a new name. Several 78 rpm records were lying on the table, and as she pushed them aside she said, "They look just like platters." Reed said, "That's it. We'll call ourselves The Platters."In June 1953, Gunter left to join The Flairs and was replaced by lead vocalist Tony Williams. Next, the band then released two singles with Federal Records, under the management of Bass, but found little success. Bass then asked his friend, music entrepreneur, and songwriter Buck Ram, to coach the group in the hope of getting a hit record. Ram made some changes to the lineup, most notably the addition of female vocalist Zola Taylor and in autumn 1954, the replacement of Alex Hodge by Paul Robi.Under Ram's guidance, The Platters recorded eight R&B/gospel songs for Federal in R&B/gospel style, scoring a few minor regional hits on the West Coast, and backed Williams' sister, Linda Hayes. One song recorded during their tenure at Federal, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots, was deemed unreleasable by the label, though copies of the early version do exist.Despite their lack of chart success, The Platters were a profitable touring group, successful enough that the Penguins, right after their No. 8 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. The Penguins would never have a hit for the label.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.