The Platters a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era
The Platters "Only You" / "Beautiful Moments" on Psycho P 2614
Songwriter and manager Buck Ram offered a slew of his musical talent such as The Platters, The Blockbusters, and Nora Hayes to AIP in return for having the sole rights to a soundtrack album for the film.
Singer Jack Hammer, who co-wrote several songs including "Great Balls of Fire," also performed with the group.
•
In 1960, lead vocalist Williams left for a solo career, and was replaced by tenor Sonny Turner.
•
The band then met music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram.
•
The act went through several personnel changes, with the most successful incarnation comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
•
Those rights were stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Herb Reed.
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 world-famous rock-and-roll group The Platters performed at the restaurant's opening, and in 1960 The Beatles also performed there during a visit to Hong Kong.
Major musicians and bands to have used the Center's stage in the past include: Dwight Yoakam, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, Ralph Stanley, IIIrd Tyme Out, Merle Haggard, The Temptations, Percy Sledge, The Platters, The Drifters, The Kingsmen, The Bishops, John Hagee, Dottie Rambo, and Steve Green.
From the late '50's until his semi-retirement in 1990, he arranged music for Nina Simone (1967), Al Hirt, Benny Goodman, Connie Francis, Sam Cooke, The Softones, The Tokens, The Platters, Brook Benton, Sylvia, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Cameo, Little Peggy March, Della Reese, Panama Francis and Pat Thomas among others.
Active internationally, he has performed with artists such as Angélique Kidjo, Julius E. Green of The Platters, Pete York of Spencer Davis Group, Jon Lord (of Deep Purple), the late "Master" Henry Gibson, the late Malando Gassama, Bernard Purdie and Eric Bibb.
As a drummer and a backing vocalist, he worked with The Drifters, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, José Feliciano and the Platters.
While performing in a local club in Cleveland as the opening act for Redd Foxx, Turner was approached by local DJ Bill Crane and asked if he would be interested in auditioning for The Platters, as their lead singer as Tony Williams was soon to be leaving the group.
He also re-recorded many of The Platters hits of the 1950s, and it is Turner's vocals that are heard on the soundtracks for films such as The Nutty Professor 2 and Hearts in Atlantis.
Zola Taylor was a member of The Platters until 1962, when she was replaced by singer Barbara Randolph.