A Platter of Lies

It was something we all wanted to believe. The man had come over and introduced himself as a member of The Platters, the legendary '50s group that gave us "Only You," "The Great Pretender" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." He sang and we believed. Believed because it was sad that this man once on top of the world was now singing to a an empty room in a hotel in Culver City. And he had The Jacket. A white suit coat with red letters that read "The Platters."

But it was soothing that a man near death found peace in singing his music for himself, if not for the crowds that were no longer there.

Even after a short conversation where he addmitted playing for the world championship Chicago Bulls, beating Bruce Lee four times and getting hit in the head with shrapnel in Vietnam, my companions still believed he was in The Platters and made the rest up.

Turns out there was a "Duke" in The Platters. But he sang none of the songs you remember.

-- The Platters Information site says "Since the early 1950s, hundreds upon hundreds of men and women have been associated, in some way, in a performing capacity with The Platters. As The Platters lineage continues to expand, tracking the all-time roster of The Platters proves to be a difficult, but a very interesting, task.

It should be noted that as original and other 'legitimate' members (those who replaced earlier members) of The Platters left the core group, many would start their own "Platters" group. As that group added and replaced members, those members suddenly have a tie to The Platters.

This sub-section of The Platters Information Site will attempt to trace the family tree of The Platters, throughout the various incarnations of the group. We hope to have complete details not only including names, but also the particular Platters "group" or "groups" they were with, as well as years of participation."

*****1969 Sonny Turner, John Rodgers, Bruce Caesar, Ron Austin, John Barnes, Duke Richardson, Herb Reed, Sandra Dawn, Ylona Austin, Elizabeth Davis, Sharon Robinson