The Platters

The Platters ranked among the foremost doo wop ensembles of the rock & roll period, thanks to enduring recordings such as "The Great Pretender," "Only You," and their interpretation of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Guided by Buck Ram, who handled management and production duties, the ensemble generated successive hits throughout the 1950s while connecting established vocal-group approaches with the rising R&B rhythms of the early part of that decade. Their distinctive style centered on the commanding delivery of lead vocalist Tony Williams alongside the graceful contributions of Zola Taylor. Years of rival lineups created public confusion, yet founding member Herb Reed ultimately secured exclusive rights to the group name, allowing continued performances and releases through the 2010s.

Formed in Los Angeles during 1952 as a doo wop outfit, the Platters issued several sides on Federal, a King Records imprint based in Cincinnati. Their trajectory shifted decisively under the influence of Buck Ram, who combined the roles of mentor, manager, producer, songwriter, and vocal coach. Ram converted a conventional vocal group into one of the most lasting and commercially successful acts in the field. By 1954 he already operated a talent agency in Los Angeles, wrote and arranged material for Mills Music, oversaw the Three Suns—a pop ensemble that achieved moderate popularity—and collaborated with his developing act the Penguins. Adding the Platters strengthened his roster of artists.

After releasing the group from its Federal agreement, Ram secured a contract with Mercury Records, the fast-growing national independent, simultaneously transferring the Penguins following their breakthrough with "Earth Angel." Mercury’s distribution network immediately opened pop outlets. Ram then refined the Platters’ configuration by assigning primary vocal responsibilities to tenor Tony Williams. The ensemble, now expanded by Zola Taylor formerly of Shirley Gunter & the Queens, supplied tightly arranged backing that highlighted each phrase. Drawing on Ram’s catalog of pop compositions, the Platters achieved rapid success on both pop and R&B charts, becoming the first Black act of the period to reach number one on the pop listings. Widely regarded as the most romantic doo wop group and the epitome of “make-out music,” they delivered a steady sequence of hits that included "Only You," "The Great Pretender," "My Prayer," "Twilight Time," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Harbor Lights," cementing their reputation as the most refined ensemble in the style.

Williams departed for a solo career in 1961. By the close of the decade the original lineup had dissolved, prompting several former members to launch their own versions of the Platters. Extended legal disputes over competing iterations persisted until Herb Reed prevailed in a series of court actions. Reed, who passed away in 2012, reconstituted the group along original lines with Wayne Miller, Valerie Victoria, Frank Pizarro, and Cheo Bourne, together with music director Michael Larson. In 2015 the sole authorized iteration issued Back to Basics Live! on the You Dig It label. The album featured two songs later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, "Only You (And You Alone)" and "The Great Pretender," plus a bonus track consisting of a fresh recording of Lee Greenwood’s "God Bless the USA." Frank Pizarro, who sang lead on that selection, had served as a first responder at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Sonny Turner, who succeeded Tony Williams in the lineup, died on January 13, 2022 at the age of 82.