August 20: Paul Robi, lead singer of The Platters, would be 79 today. He died in Feb.1989 from pancreatic cancer.

The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1953 and became one of the top vocal groups of the 1950's, selling 53 million records. The group underwent numerous line-up changes and it wasn't until Paul Robi joined that the group had its biggest and most successful hits. Robi left the group in 1965.


The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. The Platters were the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. They were also the only act to have three songs included on the American Graffiti soundtrack that sparked an oldies revival in the early to mid-1970s: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".




-- "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

-- "The Great Pretender"
-- "My Prayer"