The Coasters(I)

This seminal close-harmony singing group began in the late 40s as The Robins, a Los Angeles-based vocal quartet. Mentored by R&B bandleader Johnny Otis, they recorded several hits for the Savoy label, including a #1, "Double Crossing Blues", in 1950. They were one of the first African-American doo-wop-style acts to cross over into rock-and-roll. In 1953, The Robins signed with RCA and began a propitious association with songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Robins split up in 1955, two of the group's members (Bobby Nunn and Carl Gardner) remaining with Leiber & Stoller where they were joined by singers Leon Hughes and Billy Guy. The group henceforth named themselves The Coasters (due to their Californian origins).

Four gold records and a string of hits followed, beginning with "Down in Mexico" (a re-recorded 1973 edition was later used by Quentin Tarantino for his Death Proof (2007) soundtrack). "Searchin" went to #1 on the R&B chart and #3 on the Pop Chart in 1957. Following the arrival of tenor vocalist Cornell Gunter (1938-1990) and bass Will 'Dub' Jones (1928-2000), they recorded "Yakety Yak" (#1, 1958), "Charlie Brown" (#2, 1959) and "Poison Ivy" (#7, 1959). Backup musicians for the Coasters included saxophonist King Curtis and guitarists Adolph Jacobs and Mickey Baker . There were several more personnel changes in the 60s, notably the addition of Earl Carroll (nick-named 'Speedo', former lead singer of The Cadillacs, replacing Gunter), plus tenor vocalist Ronnie Bright and baritone Jimmy Norman (1937-2011).

The original 1958 Coasters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. A more recent incarnation of The Coasters remains active on the music scene to this day.