Former Platter lead singer returns to the stage

Sonny Turner lives in southeast Las Vegas, but his voice can be heard around the world. From 1960 to 1970, Turner was the second lead vocalist to sing for the Platters, the legendary group known for "The Great Pretender," "Only You," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

The ex-Platter will perform the classic hits with his current band at the Stardust tonight through Sunday, and again Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.

Turner joined the Platters to fill in when lead singer Tony Williams decided to pursue a solo career. At age 19, Turner was chosen out of more than 100 applicants. He was opening for comedian Redd Foxx when talent scout Bill Crane caught the show. Crane asked the young man if he'd be interested in trying out for a spot as lead singer for the Platters.

"I said 'you're kidding. That's one of my favorite groups.' I thought he was blowing purple smoke at me," Turner said.

Crane recorded the teen singing a few Platters' hits and two weeks later, Platters' manager Buck Ram called. Crane and Turner got on a night sleeper train to Milwaukee to meet with the Platters who were performing at a club called Henry's.

Turner was brought on stage between sets to do a live audition with the Platters' band as backup. The youth started out singing "What a Difference a Day Makes," and "Every Day I've Got the Blues." Crane pulled him aside and yelled, "sing some Platters' songs." Turner was petrified. He didn't know if he could sing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" with Williams listening in. Finally the young singer found the nerve, sang the songs and got the job.

Backstage, Williams was waiting. Turner tried to introduce himself and ended up stammering. Williams just laughed, clapped the teen on the shoulder and said, "'You did great. I wish I could sing like that.' He was just (teasing) me then," Turner said.

The new lead had two weeks of training before he was asked to replace Williams.

"I still haven't filled Tony Williams' shoes and I probably never will. He did something unique with his presence and voice that brought world attention. You can't replace that. He was among the best lead singers in the world. For me to have to stand in his shoes was very scary. The only thing that kept me strong and kept my knees from shaking was hearing my mother's voice saying 'you've got the talent God gave you, now use it. You've got nothing to lose but everything to gain, so keep on singing.'"

Turner said Platters' hits are still big all over the world, but the most devoted fans are in Europe and Japan.

"People are very youth-oriented in this country, but in Europe they revere vintage performers," Turner said. "Even bands who had just one hit record could go to Europe and stay for 10 years. "

In America, Turner said listener interest swells every time a Platters' song is used in a hit movie. The singer can be found singing "Magic Touch" in the Eddie Murphy movie "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps."

"I didn't even know until my daughter called me up and told me," Turner said. "I had to go out and see the movie just to hear my own voice. I stood up and applauded in the theater."

Legally, Turner can't call his new band the Platters, but there are a lot of other bands who use the name. The Platters' name is still owned by the management company originally run by Buck Ram. The company can licence any group to sing the hits and call themselves the Platters. Other unauthorized groups claim the name too. Many band members spend more time in court, battling over the name, than they do on stage. At last count, there were at least seven Platters' groups in the U.S. and perhaps even more performing overseas.

"Some of the groups are awful," Turner said. He said a few groups sing with prerecorded music or synthesizers instead of live music and one features a female singer bearing tatoos. "Which is just an insult to Zola's image," he insisted.

"They are using the Platters' name as a cash cow and they don't care what the image was or what the group stood for. It bothers me when they get up on stage and say 'here's a song we sang way back when.' None of them ever sang with us. A few of them weren't even born yet," Turner said.

Occasionally, the performer takes in Platters tribute shows to see how the image is surviving. Once he got a seat up front and lost control when the performers kept claiming to be the legendary Platters.

"I jumped up in the crowd and yelled 'Enough is enough.'"

The lead singer's chin hit the floor when he saw Turner. The vintage performer responded by demanding, "Give me the microphone."

With microphone in hand, Turner belted out "Only You" to a cheering crowd.

"They probably just thought it was part of the show. The public doesn't know. They just think we're all gone and this is a new generation of Platters."

Members of the original group are not all gone. In addition to Turner, Herb Reed still performs with a Platters-style band and Zola Taylor is still alive, though she has retired from performing.

Turner said he doesn't blame any of the guys who perform under the Platters' name. He knows they all need the work, and he admits some of the groups are pretty good. The singer just hates getting called into court for billing himself as "The former lead singer for The Platters" -- a billing he considers fact, not franchise infringement.

For more information about Sonny Turner's upcoming concerts, call the Stardust box office at 732-6325.