THE PLATTERS®: MANY VOICES ONE NAME
Herb Reed founded and named the Rock n' Roll, Vocal, and
Grammy® Halls of Fame group, The Platters®, in 1953. Today the
vocal group continuously evolves, changing members when
necessary to keep its rich legacy alive. Hence the moniker, Many
Voice ONE Name. Reed was the only artist to be with the group
from its inception until he died in 2012. Led by vocal captain and
senior member Lance Bernard Bryant, multi-talented vocalists
Omar Ross, Jovian K. Ford, and Brittany Michelle Wallace travel the
world, carrying on Reed's legacy with his longtime Music Director
Michael Larson. Later this year, The Platters will release its first EP/
LP featuring new music in more than 50 years, adding to the
group's revered music canon! To understand The Platters is to
appreciate its rich history. At 15, Herb Reed ran away from a
physically and emotionally abusive home in Kansas City, Missouri,
to Los Angeles, California. After meeting friends, "couch surfing,"
and eventually settling into a stable home, he enlisted for a brief
stint with The United States Army. Once discharged, he quickly
reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and found himself
"singing under the lamplight" on street corners with a group of
talented vocalists that included Alex Hodge and Cornell Gunter.
Ralph Bass of Federal Records wanted to record the group, but
they didn't have an official name. Sitting around a kitchen table,
Reed thought about the "platter" commonly known as a record
player's turntable that spins vinyl discs. Hence, The Platters name
was born! Bass decided to use a tune penned by his friend Buck
Ram called "Only You," but the label would later deem it
"unreleasable," so he asked Ram to take the group under his wing
and coach them to success. Gunter left The Platters to join the
"Flairs" before starting The Coasters. Tony Williams replaced him.
Hodge left, and David Lynch joined the group, followed by Paul
Robi. The Platters never achieved commercial success under Bass'
management. Ram eventually became The Platters manager.
However, shortly before going into the studio to re-record Ram's
Only You for Mercury Records, 15-year-old Zola Taylor joined the
all-male vocal group breaking the gender divide, a rarity back in
the 1950s. In 1955, Only You (and You Alone) was played on the
radio by legendary DJ Alan Freed, launching The Platters to the top
of the U.S. music charts! Considered the most romantic of all the
early rock & roll groups (that is, the ultimate in "makeout music"),
The Platters produced hit after hit. The quintet effortlessly achieved
domestic and international chart success with multiple tracks,
including the timeless hits, The Great Pretender, My Prayer,
Twilight Time, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Harbor Lights, and many
more. This success established The Platters as the classiest,
groundbreaking vocal group of the early rock & roll era. In 1959,
Tony Williams stopped making appearances and performing onstage with The Platters after being arrested with Lynch, Robi, and
Reed for violating Ohio's Jim Crow race laws during an appearance
in the Buckeye state. Then, it was illegal for black men to have
white girls in hotel rooms. They were eventually acquitted. Ram
and Mercury Records decided to move The Platters to Europe
because of the ensuing scandal. Williams took advantage of the
situation, quit The Platters to pursue a solo career, and replaced
vocalist Sonny Turner. In what appears to be an act of poetic
justice, The Platters' relocation enabled them to become the first
African American vocal group to become global superstars. When
the group eventually returned to the U.S., Turner would later
record lead vocals on the Musicor Label during The Platters
measured resurgence with moderate hits such as Love You 1000
Times and With This Ring during the "Beach Music" years. Soon
after, Sandra Dawn replaced Taylor, and Nate Nelson replaced
Robi. The consistent personnel changes have earned The Platters
the moniker, "Many Voices One Name." In 1970, Turner left the
group. Reed fired manager Ram and continued performing as The
Platters or Herb Reed and The Platters. Unfortunately, many music
identity thieves, including former members of the group, falsely
referred to themselves as The Platters both in the U.S. and abroad
during this time, causing great confusion among music consumers.
In 2005, Reed hired Frederick J. Balboni, Jr., president of Balboni
Communications Group LLC (BCG), as his manager. Reed formed
Herb Reed Enterprises LLC (HRE) to consolidate his business at Mr.
Balboni's suggestion. Together, Balboni and Reed put together a
formidable legal team to stop The Platters' imposters. After years
of litigation that reached the United States Supreme Court, it was
validated that Mr. Reed was the only group member entitled to use
The Platters name. In addition, he is the only artist to record on The
Platters more than 400 music tracks. Today BCG and HRE manage
Reed's legacy and the revered Trademark of The Platters. The
music that comprises the foundation of this vocal powerhouse is as
relevant and unwavering today as it was at its inception. In
December of 2019, Twilight Time played a prominent part in the
worldwide Sony PlayStation Now® radio, TV, and online
advertising campaign. The classic hit also plays a significant role in
the Marvel Studios – Disney+ critically acclaimed series
WandaVision, effectively welcoming The Platters into the Marvel
Cinematic Universe. This 2020 placement led the group to record a
new video and re-release their classic single. The trailer was
nominated for a 2021 Golden Trailer Award. These placements
serve as an introduction of The Platters to young music consumers.
The Platters timeless music appears on many classic and
contemporary major motion pictures and television soundtracks.
For example, the powerhouse ballad, My Prayer, was used in The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button, leading to its nomination for a
coveted Oscar® as part of the motion pictures soundtrack. In
addition, The Great Pretender prominently appears in a pivotal
scene on Disney® Television's Golden Globe®, Emmy® Award, hit
drama "Empire." Both Only You (and You Alone), and The Great
Pretender, are part of the Grammy Museum songs of the century.
In The Platters uplifting performance, there's something for
everyone that takes the audience back in time and into the future.