The Drifters Biography, Photos and Posters

The Drifters

Biography

Born: October 17, 1958
City and Country of Origin: New York, NY
Music Training:
Awards:
Top Recordings: "Money Honey," "Lucille," "Honey Love," "White Christmas," "Ruby Baby," "There Goes My Baby," "Dance With Me," This Magic Moment," "Save The Last Dance For Me," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Up on the Roof," "On Broadway," "Under the Boardwalk"
The Drifters Biography: After Clyde McPhatter left the Dominoes he was approached by Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records and signed him. McPhatter recruited several members of his former group, the Mount Lebanon Singers. This aggregation only lasted a single session (from which "Lucille" was the only song released), after which Atlantic asked McPhatter to form a different group. He finally settled on Gerhart and Andrew Thrasher on baritone and second tenor, respectively, Bill Pinkney on high tenor, Willie Ferbee as bass, and Walter Adams on guitar. This is the group on the second session, which produced the group's first major hit: "Money Honey."

Afterward, Ferbee was involved in an accident and left the group and Adams died (to be replaced by Jimmy Oliver). Ferbee was not replaced and the voice parts were shifted around: Gerhart Thrasher became first tenor, Andrew Thrasher was now the baritone, and Bill Pinkney shifted down to bass. The group released several more hits ("Such A Night," "Honey Love," "Bip Bam," "White Christmas," and "What'cha Gonna Do") before McPhatter was drafted in May 1954 (after which he pursued a solo career). McPhatter sold his share of the group to George Treadwell, manager, former jazz trumpeter, and husband of legendary singer Sarah Vaughan. As a result, the Drifters' went through copious members, none of whom made much money. McPhatter later expressed regret at this action, recognizing that it doomed his fellow musicians to unprofitability.

McPhatter was replaced first by David Baughn, who was on the group's first session. While his voice was similar to McPhatter's, his erratic behavior made him unsuitable in the eyes of Atlantic Records executives. Baughn was replaced by Cleveland native Johnny Moore (of The Hornets). This line-up had a major R&B hit in 1955 with "Adorable," followed by several others ("Ruby Baby," "I Got To Get Myself A Woman," and "Fools Fall In Love"). Johnny Moore was drafted in November 1957 and replaced by Bobby Hendricks (who had briefly been with The Swallows), but the group was still unable to break into mainstream markets.

In the mid 1950s, The Drifters began working with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, legendary songwriters, who eventually became the group's producers as well. This is widely considered the group's golden age, inaugurated by the 1956 hit "I Gotta Get Myself a Woman". Low salaries contributed to burnout among the members, particularly Bill Pinkney, who was fired after asking Treadwell for more money. Andrew Thrasher left as well, in protest. Pinkney formed another group, called The Flyers, with lead singer Bobby Hendricks (before he joined the Drifters to replace army-bound Johnny Moore).

Bill Pinkney was replaced by Tommy Evans. Charlie Hughes, a baritone, replaced Andrew Thrasher. By early 1958, the line-up was: Bobby Hendricks (lead tenor), Gerhart Thrasher (first tenor), Jimmy Milner (baritone), Tommy Evans (bass), and Jimmy Oliver (guitar). By May 1958, both Hendricks and Oliver had quit, returning only for a week's appearance at the Apollo Theater. During that week, one of the members got into a fight with the owner of the Apollo. That was the last straw for manager George Treadwell, who fired the entire group.

Treadwell was believed to have owned the rights to the name "Drifters." With a year's worth of advanced bookings for the Apollo, Treadwell recruited another group to appear on the bill, The Five Crowns with lead singer Ben E. King. They changed their name to the "Drifters" and went out on the road to tour for almost a year. This second group had no connection to the prior group of Drifters.

Meanwhile, Bill Pinkney joined together with other fired Drifters to join the Thrashers and David Baughan to begin touring as "The Original Drifters." Baughan left after a short time, leaving the group a trio. Bobby Lee Hollis joined in 1964 and took over the lead spot. Later that year Andrew Thrasher was out and Jimmy Lewis was in. Bobby Hendricks returned, making the group a quintet for a short time, before Lewis left. Andrew Thrasher returned, replacing Hollis. Hollis and Baughan bounced in and out through the 1960s. By 1968, the group was Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Hollis, and Hendricks. At this point, the group split.

Pinkney recruited The Tears, as the new "Original Drifters." The Tears were Benny Anderson, George Wallace, Albert Fortson, and Mark Williams. Shortly after recruiting them, they broke away from Pinkney and continued touring as the Original Drifters for over a decade (Pinkney filed suit and successfully stopped them at that time).

The shuffling has continued up to the present day with the most recent alignment being Pinkney, Cockerham, Dunbar, Young, and Clyde McPhatter's son, Billy McPhatter.

The group most people associate with the name the "Drifters," however, is the derivative of the "The Crowns," which includes Benjamin Earl Nelson (known professionally as Ben E. King; lead tenor), Charlie Thomas (tenor), Dock Green (baritone), and Elsbeary Hobbs (bass). This line-up released several singles which became chart hits: "There Goes My Baby," the first commercial rock-and-roll recording to include a string orchestra, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "Save The Last Dance For Me," and "I Count The Tears."

Changes started almost immediately with Lover Patterson, who had Ben E. King under personal contract not allowing him to tour with the group. This led to King leaving the group to start a solo career. Johnny Lee Williams did the touring, but was soon replaced by Rudy Lewis who led the Drifters on such hits as "Some Kind Of Wonderful," "Please Stay," and "Up On The Roof."

More changes ensued and the night before the group was to record "Under the Boardwalk," lead singer Rudy Lewis died and Johnny Moore took over as the sole lead. The group continued its metamorphosis through the 60s and finally recorded their last Atlantic session "A Rose By Any Other Name" and "Be My Lady" in 1971.

After this the group reemerged in England, with more personnel changes, where they chartered a number of disco songs through the 70s. Moore left the group in 78 and was replaced by Ray Lewis. However Moore returned the following year only to leave again in 82. When he returned once more in 83. In 1986, the group changed all of its members- the new lineup was made up of three former members, Ray Lewis, Billy Lewis, Louis Price, and new member Jonah Ellis. The folowing year more former memebers including Moore returned. The restructuring continued until tagedy struck in 1999 wiht the death of Moore. The whole matter of name rights finally wound up in London's high court.

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