Clyde McPhatter

Clyde Lensley McPhatter was born on November 15, 1933, in Durham, North Carolina, the son of a Baptist preacher. His family moved to New York, and at the age of 14 he formed his first vocal group, The Mount Lebanon Singers. In 1950 he joined the black vocal group Billy Ward's Dominoes and had a number of hits including These Foolish Things and Harbor Lights.

In 1953 Clyde left to form his own group, The Drifters, and their first recording (Money Honey) was a hit. But in 1954 Clyde joined the USAF on national service. During this period he did some recording, and then launched his solo career in February 1956 with Seven Days. In 1958 he released his million-selling A Lover's Question.

In 1959 he left Atlantic records for MGM and switched to Mercury in 1960, where he scored another hit with Lover Please in 1962.