Sonny Turner
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Sonny Turner (September 24, 1939 – January 13, 2022) was an American singer. He was best known for replacing Tony Williams as the lead singer of
The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...
.


Life and career

Prior to his work with
The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...
, Turner was the lead singer of a local vocal group called The Metrotones. While performing in a local club in Cleveland as the opening act for
Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movemen ...
, Turner was approached by local DJ Bill Crane and asked if he would be interested in auditioning for The Platters, as their lead singer as Tony Williams was soon to be leaving the group. Turner was chosen out of 100 hopeful auditioners to replace Williams in late 1959. Turner, whose friend and mentor was
Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...
, breathed new life into The Platters with three hit singles: "I Love You 1000 Times" (1966), "With This Ring" (1967), and "Washed Ashore" (1968). He also re-recorded many of The Platters hits of the 1950s, and it is Turner's vocals that are heard on the soundtracks for films such as '' The Nutty Professor 2'' and ''
Hearts in Atlantis ''Hearts in Atlantis'' (1999) is a collection of three novellas and two short stories by Stephen King, all connected to one another by recurring characters and taking place in roughly chronological order. The stories are loosely autobiographica ...
''. Turner died from throat cancer in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
on January 13, 2022, at age 82.


Discography

Albums *Standing Ovation (1974) *Celebrate The New Year At Harvey's Lake Tahoe (1983) *Sings At Lake Tahoe (1983) *Celebrate The New Year '88 At Harvey's, Lake Tahoe (1988) Singles and EPs *Atlanta / Interstate 65 (1969) *Chicago Woman / Now That You're Gone (1972) *I Want A Guarantee / Now That You're Gone (2016) with Maxine Brown *That's Why (I Love You So) *The Touch *Special Little Woman *I'll Be Around (2020)


References


External links

*
The Platters: ''A Biography'' from enotes.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Sonny 1939 births 2022 deaths 20th-century African-American singers 21st-century African-American singers African-American male singers People from Fairmont, West Virginia The Platters members Singers from West Virginia Deaths from throat cancer in California