Clyde McPhatter born 15 November 1932

Clyde Lensley McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer popular in the 1950s whose emotional style anticipated soul music. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960s and was a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. 

One of the most dramatic vocalists of his generation, McPhatter grew up in a devout Christian family that moved from North Carolina to New Jersey in the mid-1940s. There, together with some high school friends (including two of author James Baldwin’s brothers), he formed the Mount Lebanon Singers, who quickly found success on the gospel circuit. In 1950 a talent contest brought him to the attention of vocal coach Billy Ward, whose group he joined. He was present for the recording of "Sixty Minute Man" for Federal Records, produced by Ralph Bass. 

Billy Ward and his Dominoes was one of the top R&B vocal groups in the country, garnering more popularity than the Clovers, the Ravens, and the Five Keys, largely due to McPhatter's fervent, high-pitched tenor. In his book The Drifters, Bill Millar named Ben E. King, Smokey Robinson of the Miracles, Sammy Turner, and Marv Johnson among the many vocalists who patterned themselves after McPhatter. After recording several more songs with the Dominoes, including "Have Mercy Baby", "Do Something for Me", and "The Bells", McPhatter left the Dominoes on May 7, 1953. 

                                   

He was sometimes passed off as "Clyde Ward, Billy's little brother". Others assumed Billy Ward was doing the lead singing. As a member of the Dominoes, McPhatter did not earn much money; Ward paid him $100 a week, minus deductions for food, taxes, motel bills, etc.  Due to such occurrences, and as he was frequently at odds with Ward, McPhatter decided he would quit the Dominoes, intent on making a name for himself in 1953. 

Shortly thereafter, Atlantic Records’ Ahmet Ertegun sought to establish a new group around McPhatter, eventually recruiting former members of the Thrasher Wonders. They recorded a few tracks in June 1953, including a song called "Lucille", written by McPhatter himself. This group of Drifters did not have the sound Atlantic executives were looking for, however, and Clyde was prompted to assemble another group of singers. The initial members of the Drifters McPhatter assembled were mostly members of the Mount Lebanon Singers. 

Ruth Brown, Clyde McPatter, LaVern Baker

As Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, this group soon had a hit with “Money Honey,” which perfectly showcased McPhatter’s melismatic, gospel-derived style. In 1954 their recording of Irving Berlin’s classic “White Christmas” was banned from the radio because of alleged lewdness, yet it became a perennial seller. That fall McPhatter was drafted into the army but, stationed in New Jersey, was able to continue recording and appear in the film Mister Rock and Roll (1957). 

After his tour of duty, he left the Drifters and launched a solo career. The Drifters continued as a successful group, but with many changes in personnel. McPhatter began to record increasingly pop-oriented material, including the pop Top 20 hits “Without Love (There Is Nothing)” (1956) and “A Lover’s Question” (1958) as well as the rhythm-and-blues hit “Lovey Dovey.” In 1960 he switched record labels, signing first with MGM, then with Mercury. His new material was so pop-oriented that his 1962 hit “Lover Please” did not even show up on the rhythm-and-blues charts. McPhatter's career took a downward turn, as musical styles and tastes were constantly changing during the 1960s. He managed a top 30 R&B hit, "Crying Won't Help You Now", in 1964, then fell off the charts. McPhatter turned to alcohol abuse, sporadically releasing recordings that failed to chart. 

In 1968, McPhatter found work in British clubs for a few years, until the same personal problems caught up with him. He returned to America in the early '70s, signing with Decca Records at the time and releasing an album, Welcome Home. It failed to make any impact, and McPhatter himself denied having any audience or fans left, which was not the case. It was too late for McPhatter, professionally and personally, however. 

Years of alcoholism and depression, and a failure to deal with his problems ended when he died in his sleep at the age of 39, of complications of heart, liver, and kidney disease on June 13, 1972. McPhatter was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, at the time of his death. He was buried at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. 

It took years for Atlantic, where he'd been signed for what were probably the six most optimistic years of his career, to begin to make his music available in the United States. McPhatter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

(Edited from Britannica, Wikipedia & AllMusic)