Rudy Lewis (The Drifters)

The Drifters were originally formed in 1953 to serve as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter. McPhatter has been dead now for almost 45 years, but the Drifters are still around today: they're probably the longest-lasting group of all-time. They managed to do that by applying a revolving door policy - no member was irreplacable, the band had to keep going. They probably also hold the record as the band with most member changes of all time: so far, they've had 62 (!) members in all. By comparison, the Rolling Stones, who have also been around for more than 50 years, had only had 7 members during this time.

The Drifters' first hit with McPhatter as lead was Money Honey in 1953, a #1 in the US R&B chart.

Honey Love was also #1 R&B, as well as #21 Pop.

Such A Night was another big hit, peaking at #2 in the R&B chart.

McPhatter left the Drifters in 1954 to pursue a solo career. His biggest solo hit was A Lover's Question (#1 R&B, #6 Pop).

(Whenever chart positions are mentioned without notation of country, we're talking about the US charts).

McPhatter was replaced by Johnny Moore, who originally stayed for 3 years (1954-57), but would return a number of times (1964-78), 1980, 1983, 1987-98 (1998 was the year of his death). He was the group's longest-serving member. The Drifters' biggest hit with Moore on lead vocals during his first period with the group was Adorable (#1 R&B).

Bobby Hendricks handled lead vocals for the rest of 1957. With Hendricks, the Drifters only had a moderate hit, Drip Drop.

The second classic period for the Drifters began when Ben E. King took over lead vocals. He remained in the band for 2 years (1958-60) and would return in the 80s (1981-85). His first hit with the Drifters was the classic There Goes My Baby (#1 R&B, #2 Pop).

In 1960, 2 classics were introduced to the world. First came This Magic Moment (#4 R&B, #16 Pop).

Then came their crowning achievement, Save the Last Dance for Me, an all-time classic (#1 R&B, #1 Pop and #2 in the UK).

King left the Drifters in May 1960 to begin a very illustrious solo career. Among his many great hits, this one from 1961 is one of the best songs of all-time: Stand By Me originally made #1 R&B, #4 US Pop and #27 UK. It was re-released in 1986, at the wake of the success of the great movie of the same name, which prominently used the song on its soundtrack. This second time, the song went to #9 in the US, #1 in the UK & Ireland and Top 10 all over Europe.

But we're not here to talk about all that. This was a VERY long introduction to the singer who replaced King as lead singer of the Drifters from 1960 till the time of his untimely death in 1964: Rudy Lewis.

Rudy Lewis was born Charles Rudolph Harrell in 1936 in Philadelphia. He began his singing career in gospel music. His first two hits as lead singer of the Drifters came in 1961: first was Some Kind of Wonderful (#6 R&B, #32 Pop).

Then came Please Stay (#13 R&B, #14 Pop).

In 1962 he sang lead in 2 hits: one small (#73 US Pop) called Stranger on the Shore:

... and a huge one, called Up On The Roof (#4 R&B, #5 Pop).

In 1963, yet another classic by Rudy Lewis & the Drifters: On Broadway (#7 R&B, #9 Pop).

While Rudy Lewis was with the group and for a long time after his death (until 1996), his secret life was kept hidden from the public. He was a gay man who never came out to anyone in his family or to casual acquaintances – only a few close friends knew about his sexual orientation. He also started using heroin in his late teen years, and suffered from an eating disorder as well.

Ironically, while the hits that Lewis sang on were big ones, one of their biggest was scheduled to be recorded on May 21, 1964 with him singing the lead – Under the Boardwalk. That very morning Lewis was discovered deceased in his hotel room in Harlem, having died the night before. While an actual autopsy was not completed, his death was an apparent drug overdose, possibly with the further complication of a heart attack.

The fact that he was a closeted gay and black man, his involvement with opiates and other illegal drugs, and his eating disorder all would have made his life and death a classic rock and roll tragedy.  But his death at the age of 27 grants him membership in an exclusive club within that realm of tragic deaths, as  his voice is heard thousands of times a day on oldies radio all over the world. Other members of the 27 Club: Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Blues legend Robert Johnson, Amy Winehouse, Ron McKernan of the Grateful Dead, Pete Ham of Badfinger, Chris Bell of the Big Star, Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers and many others.

Former lead vocalist Johnny Moore was brought back to perform lead vocals for Under the Boardwalk (#4 US Pop).

The next day, the Drifters recorded ”I Don't Want To Go On Without You”, which was led by Charlie Thomas, in tribute to Lewis.

The last big hit of the Drifters in the US came a few months later. It was Saturday Night at the Movies (#8 R&B, #18 Pop). It was also to be a #3 in the UK 8 years later, in 1972. It was to be the beginning of a new career for the Drifters. In fact, they were more popular in the UK in the 70s than in their peak period.  Unfortunately, that success wasn't replicated in the US. There, their chart carrer was over. Here's Saturday Night at the Movies:

In 1973 Like Sister and Brother would make #7 in the UK.

In 1974 Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies would go all the way to #2.

The same year, Down on the Beach Tonight made #7.

In 1975 There Goes My First Love was an even bigger hit, peaking at #3.

That same year, Can I Take You Home Little Girl made #10.

Their last big hit in the UK came in 1976. It was called You're More than a Number in My Little Red Book and it made #5 in the UK.