In 1955 he released a single, "Yakety Yak" (not the same tune as "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters), on competitor Meteor Records.
He also performed as an alternate lead singer and harmony singer with original The Coasters - Will "Dub" Jones, Billy Guy, Cornell Gunter, Young Jessie, Adolph Jacobs for thirty four years.
As a keyboard player, Ingram was a member of the Marin County based group AnExchange, who toured Europe with The Platters and The Coasters, backed up Carlo Thomas, worked with record producer Bob Conti, and performed with the Las Vegas Enterprize in the Fredrick Apcar's production, The Sands Playmate Review.
The band started their career by playing instrumentals inspired by the music of The Tornados, Johnny and the Hurricanes, The Champs, The Coasters, The Drifters, Santo & Johnny, and soon achieved notable popularity.
Bailey released a record on Calla Records that year called "Love Won't Wear Off." It was written and produced by Billy Guy of The Coasters.
The song has been covered by many cross-genre artists such as The Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, Wanda Jackson, Vicki Young, Johnny Winter, Dr. Feelgood, The Blues Brothers, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, Johnny Cash, The Coasters and Flat Duo Jets.
He also played in live acts led by Marty Balin, Mary Wells, The Shirelles, The Coasters, The Drifters, Billy Preston, Christine McVie, Steve Seskin, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Freddy Fender, Del Shannon, and Vince Welnick's Missing Man Formation.
These include such performers as her long-time producer and husband Keith Mansfield, King Curtis, Herman Foster, Arthur Prysock, Tom Jones, The Coasters, Count Basie Orchestra, Adelaide Hall, Art Farmer, Brook Benton, Barney Kessel, Art Themen, Sarah Vaughan, Hank Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Dudley Moore.
The band play 1950s rock and roll and 1960s rhythm and blues with a modern twist covering various artists including Ray Charles, Dale Hawkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Solomon Burke, The Coasters and Muddy Waters.
Over the years, Guerra has recorded or played with Rick Derringer, The Dirty Bones Blues Band', Max Weinberg, Mark Nomad, Sticky Fingers(for which Tom wrote and arranged original music for the group's debut cd), The Easton Brothers with Muddy Waters bassist Charles Calmese, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson from The Allman Brothers Band, Second Son, Guitar Shorty, Adolph Jacobs of The Coasters, Kenny Aaronson, and The Delrays, for which he received acclaim from Buddy Guy.
After leaving that group, in 1956 Gardner formed the Coasters with the Robins' bass singer Bobby Nunn, Leon Hughes and Billy Guy, at the behest of the songwriting/producing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and had a two-sided hit in 1957, "Youngblood" (on which Gardner sang lead) and "Searchin'".
Girls! Girls! Girls!, a film starring Elvis Presley, named after the Coasters' song (see below)