To sign the Penguins, Ram insisted, Mercury also had to take The Platters. Is there a vocal technique used here? The drama was a focal point in the 1998 Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Halle Berry played Taylor. From left to right: Taylor, Williams, Lynch, Robi, Reed. It didnt take long before the groups success spawned a rush of imitators. Nelson also worked with this group until suffering a fatal heart attack in 1984. Taylor said she wed Lymon in Mexico but could not document it, The Washington Post reported in 1988. 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. As the members left Ram bought their shares and eventually owned the Platter's Buck Ram Platters were recording for Mercury again. The quintet scored a Top 5 hit with Only You in 1955. The popularity of the Platters began to fizzle after 1959, when four members were arrested in a Cincinnati hotel and accused of using drugs and soliciting prostitutes. He was inspired by the "turntable" of an old phonograph machine and the "platter" that spun the vinyl records. WebThe original female member of the immortal Platters, Zola Taylor contributed lead and backing vocals to some of the most influential and enduring recordings in R&B history, 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. WebIn 1990, Taylor was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Platters.Zola Taylor died in Riverside, California at age 69, from pneumonia, following a The Platters were the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. The Drifters were actually two groupsone built around lead singer Clyde McPhatter, the other an entirely different group that took the name Drifters, to which manager George Treadwell held the copyright, after he dismissed the original contingent. In 2011, Herb Reed and his companies obtained judgments declaring that his rights to the name were superior to all others, including Five Platters Inc. and Jean Bennett. Maybe it was the afterglow from her Tijuana marriage that induced Zola to trust a junkie like Frankie to take care of her financial affairs when she left to tour Japan with the Platters in December 1965. How does singing volume affect vocal range? Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Maryland. All of the sudden, other groups started looking for girls.. WebHowever, shortly before going into the studio to re-record Rams Only You for Mercury Records, 15-year-old Zola Taylor joined the all-male vocal group breaking the gender Sonny Turner, who replaced Tony Williams in late 1959, performed as Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters. From 1955 to 1960, the Platters had four No. The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. most of the sixties. The original group consisted of Herb Reed, Alex Hodge, Cornell Gunter and Joe Jefferson. Herb Reed, the last surviving original member of 1950s vocal group the Platters who sang on hits like Only You and The Great Pretender, has died at a Boston area hospice, The Associated Press reports. She was previously married to Frankie Lymon, Lawrence James Savage and James Baptiste. Zola Taylor, Tony Williams, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, Dave Lynch Scandal also may Sonny Barnes was hired to take Williams place, but lasted less then a year. All Rights Reserved. The Platters This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Group, Inc. presented Bennett with a contract to buy the assets of "the singing group The Platters." Scandal also might Inconsistent Right Hand Technique Mixing economy and double picking. Published: MAY 2, 2007 04:14. Elizabeth Lymon says she married Lymon on Jan. 23, 1964, in Alexandria, Va., and bore him a daughter the following year. A court later ruled, however, that "FPI was a sham used by Mr. Ram to obtain ownership in the name the 'Platters', and FPI's issuance of stock to the group members was 'illegal and void because it violated California corporate securities law. She claimed to have married Lymon in Mexicali, Mexico around 1965, but could not produce a marriage license. That was the talk of the nation. The men were acquitted but, public reaction caused some radio stations to pull A series of rulings in 1999, 2002, and 2004 gave Bennett the common law right to the name. Where does the tradition of bowing after a performance come from? their decision. As Waters claim went to court, Taylor claimed that she had been sexually active with Lymon as early as the Biggest Rock n Roll Show of 1956 tour. Taylor, who had been bedridden after several strokes, died Monday from complications of pneumonia at Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside, said her niece, Zola Taylor Jr. Taylor obituary: The obituary in the May 2 California section on Zola Taylor of the R&B group the Platters said the group had four No. groups with their harmonies and arrangements. Flamingo. She attributed the breakup to the Beatles-inspired upheaval of pop music. [20][full citation needed] In 1995, a dispute between Powell and manager Jean Bennett (who had purchased Personality Productions, the booking/management arm of the Platters' business, from Ram in 1966) led to the two parting ways. In 1958 they introduced "Twilight Time" on Dick Clark's American 1965 also saw the departure of Robi,[17] who was replaced by Nate Nelson, former lead voice of the Flamingos. 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. Taylor appeared with The Platters in the first rocknroll film, Rock Around the Clock. Why did Zola Taylor leave The Platters? Zola Taylor, who broke gender barriers in the 1950s as a member of The Platters, harmonizing with her male colleagues They also appeared in a 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. David Lynch - second tenor Many had once contained former members who were now retired or deceased. The Platters, then all men, had just signed with the Mercury label after its single Only You topped the charts, and its manager thought they needed a womans voice to soften their sound. "[9], 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. Sonny Turner is the only surviving member of The Platters. the case but, in1989 the rights were returned toRobi. Clock. Taylor was the second of Frankie Lymons three wives. She attributed the breakup to the Beatles-inspired upheaval of pop music. King was a principal member of the group The Drifters, and sang on such classics as This Magic Moment and There Goes My Baby. I've lost 25 weeks of work a year.". to play piano for the musician who had to leave early. Tony Williams1953 1960 WebLOS 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 You." The soulful vocal group that linked doo-wop and R&B. "Platters" redirects here. The movie never notes Frankies voice changing, or the fact that unlike actor Larenz Tate, the real-life Frankie lost his looks and charm.29 1998. 1960 saw their last top ten record "Harbor Lights (#8 Pop, #15 R&B). WebZola Taylor. The details of baritone Hodge's departure are muddy; author Peter A. Grendysa, says Ram fired Alex Hodge in October 1954 after having been accused of possession of marijuana. Soon, Gunter was replaced by tenor Tony Williams. One of the first 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. Fredricks, Lewis, and Price all left in 1983 and were replaced by the returning Johnny Moore, Joe Blunt, and Clyde Brown. group's sound added Zola Taylor, who belonged to one of his other acts Shirley Gunter and After achieving success in her professional career, Zola Taylor quit The Platters. #5 Pop. Also, in 1969, Reed, the final member of the original Platters, resigned from the group. However, Turner later sued G.E.M. To distinguish his group from the offshoots started by former members, Ram added his name to that of the group. This began a streak of eleven Required fields are marked *. Mercury continued issuing Williams led Platters singles with "It's Magic" His widow won back in 1995from Ram the writing and publishing interests Shortly before Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and the right to use the Platters' name. The Platters continue 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. That was the talk of the nation. Is an arpeggio considered counterpoint or harmony? The current members of The Drifters are listed as being Charlie Thomas, Louis Bailey, Stephen Brown and Jerome Manning. However, relations between the group and the company were strain and there Zola Taylor Death: and Cause of Death On April 30, 2007, Zola Taylor died of non-communicable disease. WebAccording to court documents, the three are Emira Eagle Lymon, 46, a school teacher in Augusta, Ga.; Elizabeth Waters Lymon, 43, of Philadelphia, who said she bore Lymon a child; and Zola Mae Taylor of Los Angeles, the female voice of the Platters. Reed said he was as surprised by the uproar as the titillated public. Reed named the group while sitting around a kitchen table with Hodge and others. WebYeah, I did my kids wedding decor on seriously low budget (~$800) and it looked a million times better than this. led a colorful life, but the world wasn't prepared for her 1984 confession that she had an The Platters--Williams, David Lynch, Herbert Reed, Paul Robi and Zola Taylor--recorded Only You in 1955. WebScandal hit the Platters the following year when the band's male members, who were Black, were arrested in Cincinnati and accused of having sexual relations with four female minors, three of whom were White. After 20 Mercury singles the label changed the credits to read The Platters featuring 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 of three women claiming to be pop idol Frankie Lymons widow, died April 30 in Riverside, Calif. She was 69. Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965 although their relationship ended several months later, purportedly because of Lymons drug habits. Robinson, Taylors closest known living relative, said his aunt continued touring with other lesser-known acts until 1996 and wed two other times. In 1990, the Platters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ms. Taylor was back in the spotlight in 1968, when she and two other women who claimed to be Mr. Lymons widow became embroiled in a bitter legal battle for his royalties. He died on January 13, 2022. She was an actress, known for Coronacin (2000), Rock All Night (1957) and Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998). Further personnel changes occurred in the group around this time, with Zola Taylor leaving and being replaced by Barbara Randolph for a time and then by Sandra Dawn. Bedridden after several strokes until her death from pneumonia. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. With a bright orange wrapper, the bar was available in the UK, but sadly vanished from the shelves at some point in the 1980s. Nostalgia changed everything back, Taylor told The Times in 1990. Tony Williams - lead replaced by Sonny Turner 1960 After a few unsuccessful records, Ram replace Hodge with Paul Robi and to soften the The Platters were the first rock and roll era group to have a Top Ten album in the United States. Sonny Turner sang the lead on these three records, with Reed, Lynch, Nelson, and Dawn completing the group. Tony Williams formed his version of The Platters in 1971 and announced a worldwide tour. The Platters always worked, but it took four years to get back on the charts while 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. 69 years (19382007)Zola Taylor / Age at death. He was inspired by the "turntable" of an old phonograph machine and the "platter" that spun the vinyl records. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. He recorded an LP, A Girl Is A Girl Is A Girl, but his career faltered after he was arrested on a morals charge, of which he was later cleared. The first hearing, held in Philadelphia, was decided in favor of Waters being Lymons first wife. Due to a series cerebrovascular accidents, she died in Riverside, California at the age of just 69. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She was an actress, known for Coronacin (2000), Rock All Night (1957) and Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998). Zola Taylor had a big house in Baldwin Hills. 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. Sonny brought The Platters back to the charts in 1966 with the hits, "I Love You 1000 Times", "With This Ring", and "Washed Ashore".[25]. Taylor left the Platters when the group disbanded in the early 60s. 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 Scandal also might have played a part: The four men in the [Part 1]", "The Platters - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation", "Show 14 - Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. The summer of 1959 four male members of the group were arrested in Cincinnati and were Nelson was still with the Platters when he died of heart disease in 1984. 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. Powell, who had been touring under the Platters' name, was sued by Bennett for breach of contract. Bandstand Saturday night TV show. Zola Taylor was born on March 17, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Barnes was replaced by Charles "Sonny" Turner who stayed with the group through Various line-ups using The Platters' name have toured concurrently since the 1970s. January 13, 2022Sonny Turner / Date of death, 82years (19392022)Sonny Turner / Age at death. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Alex Hodge - baritone replaced by Paul Robi What happened to Zola Taylor of the Platters? Ram had originally met the Platters while they were working as In 2007, Nestl discontinued Drifter before reintroducing it in May 2008, enjoying a similar act of nostalgia as Cadburys Wispa bar. Although Fry was the first to start pressing chocolate into bar molds in 1847, the Chocolate Cream was the first mass-produced and widely available candy bar. Advertisement. She showed up on time, knew her harmony parts and charmed audiences with her smile and beauty. It stayed on the charts 39 weeks and was the first rock and roll record to beat Zola Taylor left in 1962, for personal reasons and was replaced by Sandra Dawn. Zola Taylor was the only female singer in the Platters between 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. [8] This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock and roll" record. Mr. Lymon, a teen pop sensation in the 1950s with hits like Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, had died of a drug overdose in 1968 at age 25. Didnt happen. then took Personality Productions, Inc. (Bennett's separate management company) corporate records and files and attempted to take the company's phone numbers. 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, In June 1953, Gunter left to join The Flairs and was replaced by lead vocalist Tony Williams. Robinson said she told him that the two wed in Mexico while she was touring with the Platters and forgot to file papers in San Diego. She was 69. The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1952[1] and were initially managed by Federal Records A&R man Ralph Bass. WebWhy did Zola Taylor leave the Platters? Herb Reed died in June 2012 at 83. WebWhy did Zola Taylor leave the platters? A film of the Platters performing the song was used He was taken ill at Dulles International Airport Sept. A string of hit singles followed, including three more national #1 hits and more modest chart successes such as "I'm Sorry" (#11) and "He's Mine" (#23) in 1957, "Enchanted" (#12) in 1959, and "(You've Got) The Magic Touch"[4] (#4) in 1956. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Find out more about the group behind "The Great Pretender," "Only You," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" here in this profile from your Oldies Expert at About.com. 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. [28], In June 2014, Herb Reed's companies obtained a judgment against former singer Monroe Powell for trademark infringement. Who did Frankie Lymon have a One song recorded during their Federal tenure, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram[4] for the Ink Spots, was deemed unreleasable by the label,[5] though copies of this early version do exist. Mercury continued releasing old songs they had recorded up to1964, the last being [18] Nelson left the group in 1967. He was taken ill at Dulles International Airport Sept. 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