The Platters

One of the first important African-American vocal groups, the Platters were a musical bridge between Tin Pan Alley pop and the emerging doo-wop era. During their 1955-60 heyday, the Platters scored a string of hits that represented early rock & roll at its sweetest and smoothest. The quintet was formed in Los Angeles in 1952. Though there would be many personnel changes over the years, it was lead singer Tony Williams (who joined in 1953) who featured on the biggest hits; the Platters were also notable for having one female singer in the lineup (during the heyday it was Zola Taylor).

Equally important was a non-group member, Buck Ram, who became the Platters' songwriter and musical director. Ram got the Platters signed to Mercury and gave them their first hit, "Only You (And You Alone)", which the Ink Spots had turned down (Ringo Starr also hit with this song in 1974). This was a Top Ten hit in July 1955 and led to a series of equally dramatic songs-"The Great Pretender," "Twilight Time," "(You've Got) the Magic Touch"-all Top Tens over the next year, all written by Ram and all featuring Williams' aching high-register vocals.

Ram also had the Platters record pop standards and show tunes, notably "My Prayer" in 1956 and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in 1957; these both were Number Ones. Another pre-rock song, "Harbor Lights," became the Platters' final Top Ten in 1960. The group began to splinter around this time, with Williams going solo in 1960 (Sonny Turner was his replacement), the group's fortunes also suffered when the four male members were arrested in 1959 on drug and prostitution charges.

Ram took legal custody of the name and continued recording a mostly-new Platters lineup; their biggest hit, 1967's "With This Ring" was closer stylistically to Motown than to vintage Platters. A confusing number of Platters groups, featuring some or none of the original members, would play the oldies circuit for decades to come. Tony Williams sang with the Platters at their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1990; he died two years later.

Original member Herb Reed would lead the most visible version of the latter-day Platters; this group's lead singer Frank Pizarro was a first responder on 9/11. As of 2019 there was one original Platter still alive (82-year-old Gaynel Hodge), while an unrelated group was touring with legal rights to the Platters name.