The Drifters, The Platters & Cornell Gunter’s Coasters

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The Platters

The Drifters

The Drifters
A Half Century of Classic American Music

There’s a very good reason that Rolling Stone magazine, in their iconic issue “500 Greatest Rock and Roll Performers”
said of the Drifters “No group has done it this well for this long–no one, not even the Rolling Stones.” That’s quite a
accolade to live up to but hopefully, on their latest tour, the Drifters will once again prove Rolling Stone to be the sage of
rock and roll.

Through their historic journey which began in the 1957, the Drifters have had no less than 5 legendary lead singers
including Rock and Roll hall of Famers Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King. Such stalwart and famed individual lead
singers as Charley Thomas, Bill Pinkney and Johnny Moore have passed through the group over the years, each recording
their share of Drifters hits. And today, as has been the case for nearly 25 years, their star lead singer is Jerome Jackson
who also performed as the lead singer for the Main Ingredient in the 1970s.

There are many “firsts” for the Drifters; they were the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with
fellow inductees The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Supremes. Just reflect for a moment if you will, on
that class of Rock and Roll stars that the Drifters were an integral part of.

They were the first musical rock and roll group to include string instruments into rhythm and blues music with their
hauntingly beautiful song, “There Goes My Baby”.

They were the first musical group to sell two million records with their pop classic “Up on the Roof’.
Their classic tune “Under the Boardwalk” is the most played R&B disc of all time. They have sold over 200 million
records across the world; a feat that has only been outdone by Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones and Adele.
They were part of the longest running sold out concert show in Las Vegas history. For fifteen years, every night along
with the Platters and the Cornell Gunther Coasters, sold out first at the Sahara Hotel, then at the Hard Rock Cafe and
finally, at the Paris Hotel. No other show has come near that level of success anywhere.

Their performance last year for President Bush Senior, at his 90th birthday party, was the sixth president that the Drifters
have performed for over the last 35 years from the Inaugural Balls of President Reagan, Clinton and Ford to President
Nixon’s birthday party and President Obama’s daughter’s graduation–when history is made, the Drifters have been part of
the celebration.

When the Berlin Wall fell and Billy Joel was there to commemorate it, what act do you think was there to support him. If
you guessed the Drifters, you would be right. When the US Government did their first official government sanctioned tour
of Russia, Premier Gorbachev was there to greet them. They have performed for the Pope, the Queen of England, Nelson
Mandella and toured for the USO in three different war zones from Korea to Iraq.

And what about their wonderful songwriters and producers. Everyone from Leiber & Stoller, to Carole King, Jerry
Goffen, Neal Diamond, Phil Spector have had a haDd in writing hits for the Drifters.

And on their latest tour, as they move beyond their 50 year mark, with a lineup of veterans and new voices, they once
again perpetuate the Drifters story. In their last tour, they sold out over 75 performing arts centers crisscrossing the
country. And now they are gearing up for a monumental celebration of their hit song catalogue as they prepare their latest
CD The Drifters Salute the Great American Songbook Live.

So, the Drifters are looking forward to coming to your town real soon where we continue our five decade long party.
Look for the group’s new album The Drifters Salute the Great American Songbook Live.

The Story of the Platters
America’s First Crossover Rock Group

In 1955, Herb Reed, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Zola Taylor and Tony Williams crashed through the racial divide in the music industry paving the way for The Platters to become the first African-American vocal group to reach international superstardom!

The Platters debut single, Only You (and You Alone), launched the vocal group on the world stage.  The romantic ballad, based on the then groundbreaking Tin Pan Alley sound, became an instant hit with the public and would eventually reach number five on the Pop charts, pioneering the “new sound” of Rock & Roll as we know it today. 

The follow-up single, The Great Pretender, propelled The Platters to the number one position on the pop charts, providing the launch pad for their meteoric rise as crossover artists. Both tracks have since been declared songs of the 21st century by the Grammy Music Hall of Fame. 

Lead vocalist Tony Williams’ romantic, soaring tenor voice is largely credited with creating The Platters unique sound. He was replaced on stage by Sonny Turner. 

In keeping with the founder’s wishes, The Platters continue to evolve and entertain music fans of all ages worldwide. With a solid foundation of multiple hit songs under their belts, thanks to the founding members, The Platters today, Wayne Miller, Adele Galinda “DD” Grey Martin, Lance Bernard Bryant and Kenny Williams—all seasoned, veteran performers of film, stage and music from Broadway to Hollywood—continue to captivate audiences under the baton of Musical Director Michael Larson. 

As evidence to the vocal groups enduring legacy, The Platters’ classic hit My Prayer was featured in a key spot on the Oscar-nominated soundtrack The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In 2015, The Great Pretender was pivotal to a riveting “Russian Roulette” scene in FOX Television’s Emmy Award-winning series Empire. 

The Cornell Gunter Coasters
Clown Princes of Rock & Roll

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the formation of Cornell Gunter’s Coasters out of the ashes of the surprising
breakup of the original Coaster group several months earlier.

Few people recall anymore the historical significance of Cornell Gunter’s decision at the time to “fly in the face of the
wind.” After all, he thought he could form a new group that would overcome the temporary lack of public interest in The
Coasters’ music, and 1950’s music in general. And he thought he could do so by relying, in part at least, on Coasters’
music. Cornell believed that there was a new and unique way to present 1950’s music and clearly a new approach was
needed because the 70’s and 80’s brought about a stunning and sudden change in American musical tastes. Heavy Metal,
Soft Rock and Hip Hop were right around the corner and almost overnight The Coasters, along with all of the other
purveyors of the oldies group sound (The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Platters, to name a few), went from living as stars in
the spotlight to being unable to get a new record played on the radio.

Looking back, given the current popularity of their type of music, it is hard to believe that this immensely popular art form
could have fallen into disfavor so rapidly, joining such other fads as Disco, Calypso, Big Band and Swing; all of which
disappeared from the music scene.

It’s hard to believe it now but like aging football players or old time movie stars, there was a time that the l 950’s group
members all seemed headed for their new lives out of the limelight. Enter Cornell Gunter. Cornell believed that The
Coasters could be reborn. In fact he believed that all of the groups from that era could be reborn, and thrive as live
performing groups and ultimately he led the way to what was soon to become known as “classic rock”. All that was
needed was to take the original music and present it in a way that gave each group a modern theatrical approach to their
presentation. More important, he developed an approach to 1950’s music that lent itself to constant innovation.

And slowly but surely the fans returned. Under the leadership of their current management, Cornell ‘s unique approach to
The Coasters’ music (and 1950’s music in general) that within a year Cornell Gunter’s Coasters were headlining in Las
Vegas for six months out of the year. Soon The Drifters, The Platters and other 1950’s groups following Cornell’s lead,
were reconstituted as live performing groups, all with their own unique style. Then came the first oldies stations and
oldies shows that still fascinate the country’s musical taste today. All because of this “crazy idea” of Cornell Gunter.
Over the years, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters has continually built up a new market for their approach to 1950’s music. If
you’ve seen the show, you will know what we mean when we say, “you are in for a surprise.” Today they are as much a
comedy act as a singing group. It’s The Coasters’ music through the eyes of Salvador Dali. It’s definitely not your
mother’s music.

It has been many years since Cornell passed away. Since then the group members who had been with him for many
decades, and the original management team who had been the creative force behind the group, carried on the show by
incorporating Cornell’s genius into the group’s ongoing homage, to not only The Coasters’ music, but to Cornell himself.
It is under the tutelage and guidance of this multi-decade relationship that the group continues to entertain today. And
today Cornell Gunter’s genius still lives on in the way Cornell Gunter’s Coasters present themselves on stage.