The Platters: The Most Successful Singing Group Of The Fifties

The Platters sold 50 million records to become the most successful black doowoppers on the history of rock. They were assembled, coached and directed by Buck Ram, a white lawyer in his forties who believed that a fusion of R&B beat and lush orchestral sounds would have a strong emotional appeal. In an era when black music was generally tagged as smutty or subversive, Ram's smooth, string-filled arrangements of comforting Tin Pan Alley songs stood out as a new departure. It was an innovation that proved to be a winner.