Reliving the superb music of The Platters, The World Famous Platters is back in the Philippines after two concerts in Manila early this year. This time, they will also be performing for their die-hard Cebuano fans at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on August 25, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Unlike their previous visits that had been very brief, they will be spending a few more days in the country. Their concert series starts off with two nights in Manila, specifically at the Grand Ballroom of Dusit Hotel on August 22 and at the Resorts World Manila on August 23. After their Cebu Concert, they will be at Rose Memorial Auditorium CPU in Iloilo City and at the L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City on August 26 and 27, respectively. They will then fly to Singapore for two nights at the Lido Theater SS Virgo on August 30 and August 31.
The ticket prices for the Cebu concert are as follows: Php3,000 for Gold A reserved seating, Php2,000 for Gold B reserved seating, Php1,000.00 for Silver free seating, and Php500 for Bronze free seating. Senior Citizens get a 50% discount on all tickets until August 19, 2012. You can purchase your tickets at the Ayala and SM Customer Service Counters and at the Waterfront Lahug Hotel lobby. For ticket inquiries and reservations, you may call landlines (032)318-1734 and 232-6888, local 8724 or mobile (0923)726 -8519 and (0917)703-7663.
The World Famous Platters
The Platters were formed in 1953, originally composed of Alex Hodge, Cornell Gunter, David Lynch, Joe Jefferson, Herb Reed, and Gaynel Hodge. Among others, their chart-topping hits were “The Great Pretender,” “Only You,” “One in a Million,” “My Prayer,” “Gets in Your Eyes,” and “Twilight Time.”
The band had successfully created 66 chart toppers and sold more than 100 albums worldwide. In the summer of 1955, “Only You” became the band’s first top ten hit on the pop charts. It also conquered the number one spot at the R&B charts for seven weeks. Their second single, “The Great Pretender,” surpassed their debut song’s success. It was the band’s first national number one hit and their biggest R&B hit, having an 11-week run at the number one spot. In 1956, The Platters appeared in the first major film entitled Rock Around the Clock.
The Platters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and into the the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. They were the first rock and roll group to have a top ten album in the United States of America. They were also the only band to have three songs on the American Graffiti soundtrack.
The lineup of the group has changed several times. After only a few months as a band, Tony Williams replaced Gunter as lead vocalist. The change happened when they signed composer Buck Rum, who tailored his songs to Williams’ amazing voice. After only a year, Hodge and Jefferson also left. They were replaced by Paul Robi and Zola Taylor. Williams left in 1960 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Sonny Turner. As the band’s lineup further fell apart, there was a never-ending squabbling over the profitable Platters name. There have been injunctions, non-compete clauses and numerous versions of the act who toured at the same time.
The notable acts using variations of the name were “The Buck Ram Platters,” “Monroe Powell and The Platters,” “Herb Reed and His Platters,” and Sonny Turner (former lead singer of The Platters). Williams also led his own Platters group.
The original Platters may have already passed away, but the band’s legacy continues through “The World Famous Platters.” They continue to entertain Platters fans around the world with their wonderful performances. Group leader and lead singer Eddie Stovall Sr. is proud to say that he has worked with original Platters Williams and Taylor. They garnered the much-coveted Vocal Group of the Year award in 1999.
The World Famous Platters is a mainstay performer at Branson, Missouri, which is dubbed as the Las Vegas of the East in terms of astonishing shows. The place has more than 40 theaters that feature at least 70 artists yearly. For the past two decades, the band has been performing there for 10 months every year. The band performs alongside Tony Orlando, Andy Williams, Wayne Newton and other talents.
Despite their busy schedule in Branson, the band takes every opportunity to perform in different places even though they spend long hours on the plane traveling. Considering the number of times they have returned to the country, it goes to show how much they love performing here in the Philippines.
Leave a Reply