THE PLATTERS

During rock ‘n’ roll’s first half-decade, the Platters lived in the national top ten. Their many hits included “Only You (And You Alone),” “The Great Pretender” (both 1955), “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch,” “My Prayer” (both 1956), “Twilight Time” (1958), and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (1959). However, the group floundered with the 1960 departure of lead singer Tony Williams. Though the Platters found a replacement lead in Sonny Turner, their label, Mercury, refused to release any material without Williams. This prompted the group’s manager, Buck Ram, to take legal action against the company. Mercury spent the next two years reissuing Williams-era material until the group’s contract expired.

Meanwhile, the Platter’s line-up suffered when two “classic” members, Paul Robi and Zola Taylor, left the group. This led to the formation of splinter acts and much legal wrangling over the use of the Platters’ name. To distinguish his own line-up, Ram re-dubbed them “The Buck Ram Platters.” This group consisted of Sonny Turner, Nate Nelson (formerly of the Flamingos), Herb Reed (a classic member), David Lynch (also a classic member), and Sandra Dawn. These were the Platters who signed with Musicor in1966 and enjoyed a year-long chart comeback with sprightly numbers like “I Love You 1000 Times,” “With This Ring,” and “Washed Ashore.”

Nate Nelson left the Platters in 1967 (replaced by Milton Bullock), followed by Sandra Dawn and Herb Reed in 1969. For a time, the latter performed as Herb Reed & The Platters. Nelson worked with Reed’s group until his (Nelson’s) death in 1984. Sonny Turner quit the group in 1970 (replaced by Monroe Powell), Tony Williams formed his own Platters group in 1971, and Buck Ram also kept using the name.

A plethora of court battles ensued over who could legally call themselves the Platters. The various line-ups included Sonny Turner’s, Zola Taylor’s, Milton Bullock’s, Paul Robi’s (managed by his widow), Herb Reed’s, Monroe Powell’s, Ritchie Jones’ (he was a member from 1984-85), the Buck Ram Platters featuring Jean Bennett, the World Famous Platters, and several others with no current ties to the group. (I recall a Red Lobster commercial from the ‘80s with a Platters group, not one member of which looked a day over thirty-five.)

Herb Reed, the last surviving classic member, died in June 2012. He was 83 years old and the only member to appear on every Platters recording.

As of 2020, the group’s official line-up comprised Lance Bernard Bryant, Brian McIntosh, Leslie Mon’e, and Omar Ross.

Charted singles (Sonny Turner era):

“I Love You 1000 Times” (1966) R&B #6, Pop #31
“Devri” (1966) Pop #111
“I’ll Be Home” (1966) Pop #97
“With This Ring” (1967) R&B #12, Pop #14
“Washed Ashore” (1967) R&B #29, Pop #56
“Sweet, Sweet Lovin’” (1967) R&B #32, Pop #70
“Hard to Get Thing Called Love” (1968) Pop #125