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"The Drifters were the all time greatest Atlantic recording group" said Ahmet Ertegun, founder of the Atlantic Recording Company and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1988 the Rock Hall inducted the seven significant contributors to The Drifters' legacy - originals Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, and Gearhardt Thrasher, along with subsequent members Johnny Moore, Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis, and Charlie Thomas. Only Pinkney, King, and Thomas are alive today. The Original Drifters featuring Bill Pinkney, the only surviving original member from 1953, and a 1998 Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award recipient. Although personnel and management changes over the years have led to many permutations of The Drifters, Pinkney has used the name/mark ORIGINAL DRIFTERS since 1958. Committed to keeping alive the name and sounds of the fifties, he is celebrating 50 years of touring. |
Biography