"Only You" (1955)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer ( Inducted:1990)
My Second Cousin
FilmographySoundtrack:
1. The Girl Can't Help It (1956) (writer: "You'll Never Never Know")
Self:
1. Girls Town (1959) (as The Platters) .... Himself
... aka The Innocent and the Damned (USA: reissue title)
2. Europa di notte (1959) (as The Platters)
... aka Europe by Night
... aka European Nights (USA)
... aka Nuits d'Europe (France)
3. Rock All Night (1957) .... Himself (with The Platters)
4. Carnival Rock (1957) (as The Platters) .... Himself
5. The Girl Can't Help It (1956) (as The Platters) .... Himself
6. Rock Around the Clock (1956) .... Himself (with The
Platters)
Hit singles
Release date Title Chart Positions
US Charts US R&B chart UK Charts Australia
7/55 "Only You" #5 #1 #5
11/55 "The Great Pretender" #1 #1 #5
2/56 "The Magic Touch" #4 #4
6/56 "My Prayer" #1 #1 #4
6/56 "Heaven on Earth" #39 #13
8/56 "You'll Never Never Know" #11 #9 #23
8/56 "It Isn't Right" #13 #10 #23
11/56 "On My Word of Honor" #20 #7
11/56 "One in a Million" #31 #11
2/57 "I'm Sorry" #11 #15 #18
2/57 "He's Mine" #23 #5
4/57 "My Dream" #24 #7
4/57 "I Wanna" #24
8/57 "Only Because" #65
12/57 "Helpless" #56
4/58 "Twilight Time" #1 #1 #3 #1
6/58 "You're Making a Mistake" #51
9/58 "I Wish" #42
9/58 "It's Raining Outside" #93
10/58 "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" #1 #3 #1 #1
2/59 "Enchanted" #12 #9
5/59 "Remember When" #41 #25
9/59 "Where" #44
9/59 "Wish It Were Me" #61
1/60 "Harbor Lights" #8 #15 #11
1/60 "Sleepy Lagoon" #65
5/60 "Ebb Tide" #56
8/60 "Red Sails in the Sunset" #36
10/60 "To Each His Own" #21
1/61 "If I Didn't Care" #30
1961 "Trees" #62
7/61 "I'll Never Smile Again" #25 #17
Few groups have had as much success and as many personnel changes as "The Platters". Even from its early beginnings, The Platters experienced several changes in members, but the hit records were sung by Tony Williams (1953-1960)
In 1958, The Platters reached #1 with two singles: the classics "Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." The latter was also an Australian chart-topper, and the band was very popular in the UK.
Scandal hit The Platters the following year when the band's male members (who were black) were arrested in Cincinnati and accused of having sexual relations with four female minors (three of whom were white). In the racially-divided atmosphere of the time, it was a career-damaging incident. Though The Platters were acquitted, much of the public was outraged. Following the incident, the band had only one more top-10 single, "Harbor Lights" (1960)
After a few more releases, such as 1961's "If I Didn't Care" (a remake of The Ink Spots/Fred G Sanford original) lead singer Tony "Hun Love" Williams quit to go solo and was replaced by Sonny Turner. Despite this event, the record label continued to issue old singles featuring Tony for the next three years, but none of The Platters' efforts could match their earlier success with "Hun Love"...you already know.
Hun Love's son, Brian Carson Williams, was a basketball player for five NBA teams. He was a member of the Chicago Bulls' 1997 NBA championship team. He finished his career with two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He had been the Pistons' highest-paid player.
In 1998, Brian decided to change his name to Bison Dele to honor his Native American and African ancestry and played his final season under that name. He retired unexpectedly in 2000 and disappeared at sea, in 2002.
Now