The Platters

The Platters emerged as stars in the late 1950's - selling more records, playing more venues, appearing in more films and romancing more Americans than any other group of its time. Simple melodies, simple lyrics and satin-smooth voices have always been their trademark, and it continues to work to this day. Original member Zola Taylor once said "There's not a group out there that could touch us when we walked out on stage". The Platters were a phenomenon - the first black group to ever have a number one pop record and the first to cross racial barriers on the concert circuit. The hit "Twilight Time" was the first record of the rock & roll era to feature strings. Just as the Ink Spots had left their impression on the group, so did The Platters influence the next generation of vocalists.

The group was founded by their original manager and primary songwriter, the late Buck Ram (see our special dedication to Buck Ram). The original line-up was Herb Reed, David Lynch, Tony Williams and Alex Hodge. Zola Taylor was added soon after and the hits began to roll. They signed a deal with Mercury Records in 1955 that established the group as a staple in the music world. From there they launched a career that would produce nearly 400 songs and sell over 100 million copies of those songs.

Though widely known for their early hits, the group continued its successful recording career years after, and Milton Bullock was fortunate to be a big part of that era. Milton found himself being invited by Herb Reed to join the group in 1964 as first tenor. With his help they continued to stay on the charts and in the hearts of America. The Platters disbanded in 1969, and several members went on to perform solo - but only Milton Bullock can be called "The Golden Platter".

You can see him above performing with The Platters, second to the left next to Herb Reed, one of the very first members.