Editing The Coasters (section)

==History==
The Coasters were formed on October 12, 1955, when [[Carl Gardner]] and [[Bobby Nunn (doo-wop musician)|Bobby Nunn]] left [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]–based [[rhythm and blues|rhythm-and-blues]] group [[the Robins]] and signed to [[Atlantic Records]].<ref name="LarkinSM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-733-9|pages=49/50}}</ref> Dubbed the Coasters because they had moved from the West Coast to the East Coast, the original lineup comprised the vocal quartet of Gardner, Nunn, [[Billy Guy]], and [[Leon Hughes]] (who was replaced by [[Young Jessie]] on a couple of their early Los Angeles recordings), plus guitarist [[Adolph Jacobs]] up until his departure in 1959.<ref name="LarkinSM"/>

The songwriting team of [[Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]] started [[Spark Records]] and in 1955 produced "Smokey Joe's Cafe" for the Robins<ref name=pc13>{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19762/m1/ |title=Show 13 – Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' Roll in the Late Fifties. [Part 3&#93; : UNT Digital Library |publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu |year=1969 |access-date=January 9, 2011}}</ref> (their sixth single with Leiber and Stoller). The record was popular enough for [[Atlantic Records]] to offer Leiber and Stoller an independent production contract to produce the Robins for Atlantic. Only two of the Robins—Gardner and Nunn—were willing to make the move to Atlantic, recording their first songs in the same studio as the Robins had done (Master Recorders).<ref name="LarkinSM"/> In late 1957, Carl Gardner and Billy  Guy moved to New York with newcomers [[Cornell Gunter]] and [[Will "Dub" Jones]] to reform the Coasters.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> The new quartet was from then on stationed in New York, although all had Los Angeles roots.

The Coasters' association with Leiber and Stoller was an immediate success.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Together they created a string of good-humored "storytelling" hits that are some of the most entertaining from the original era of rock and roll.<ref name=pc13/> According to Leiber and Stoller, getting the humor to come through on the records often required more recording "takes" than for a typical musical number.<ref name=pc13/>

Their first single, "[[Down in Mexico]]", was an [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] hit in 1956.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> The following year, the Coasters crossed over to the pop chart in a big way with the double-sided "[[Young Blood (The Coasters song)|Young Blood]]"/"[[Searchin']]".<ref name="LarkinSM"/> "Searchin'" was the group's first U.S. Top 10 hit,<ref name="LarkinSM"/> and topped the R&B chart for 13 weeks, becoming the biggest R&B single of 1957 (all were recorded in Los Angeles).

"[[Yakety Yak]]" (recorded in New York), featuring [[King Curtis]] on tenor [[saxophone]], included the famous lineup of Gardner, Guy, Jones, and Gunter, and became the act's only national number one single, topping both the pop and R&B charts.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> The next single, "[[Charlie Brown (The Coasters song)|Charlie Brown]]", reached number two on both charts.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> It was followed by "[[Along Came Jones (song)|Along Came Jones]]", "[[Poison Ivy (1959 song)|Poison Ivy]]" (number 1 for almost two months on the R&B chart), and "[[Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)]]".<ref name="LarkinSM"/>

Changing popular tastes and changes in the group's line-up contributed to a lack of hits in the 1960s.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> During this time, [[Billy Guy]] was also working on solo projects; the New York singer [[Vernon Harrell]] was brought in to replace him for stage performances. Later members included [[Earl Carroll (vocalist)|Earl "Speedo" Carroll]] (lead of [[the Cadillacs]]), [[Ronnie Bright]] (the bass voice on [[Johnny Cymbal]]'s "[[Mr. Bass Man]]"), [[Jimmy Norman]], and guitarist Thomas "Curley" Palmer. The Coasters signed with [[Columbia Records]]' [[Date Records|Date]] label in 1966, reuniting with Leiber and Stoller (who had parted ways with Atlantic Records in 1963), but never regained their former fame.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> In 1971, the Coasters had a minor chart entry with "[[Love Potion No. 9 (song)|Love Potion No. 9]]", a song that Leiber and Stoller had written for the Coasters, but instead gave to [[the Clovers]] in 1959. In Britain, a 1994 [[Volkswagen]] TV advertisement used the group's "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have to Pass", which led to a minor chart placement in that country.

In 1987, the Coasters became the first group inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], crediting the members of the 1958 configuration. The Coasters also joined the [[Vocal Group Hall of Fame]] in 1999.

Several groups used the name in the 1970s, touring throughout the country, though original member [[Carl Gardner]] held the legal rights to it.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Gardner continued to tour with the Coasters and made many attempts to stop bogus groups with no connection to the original group using the name. In late 2005, Carl's son Carl Gardner Jr. took over as lead with the group when his father retired. The Coasters' line-up then consisted of Carl Gardner Jr., J. W. Lance, Primo Candelara, and Eddie Whitfield. Carl Jr. later left this group and has started his own group with Curley Palmer. Carl's widow Veta owns the rights to the Coasters name.

[[Leon Hughes]], the last surviving member of the original Coasters, died of natural causes on March 1, 2023, at the age of 92.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=April 11, 2006 |title=News – Ex-Coasters Manager Dies at Ely State Prison |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-11-Tue-2006/news/6807731.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221102349/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-11-Tue-2006/news/6807731.html |archive-date=February 21, 2011 |access-date=January 9, 2011 |publisher=reviewjournal.com}}</ref> Prior to his death, he performed with his own group. 

Several former members of the band met untimely ends. Saxophonist [[King Curtis]], known as the "Fifth Coaster," was fatally stabbed by two [[Substance abuse|drug addicts]] outside his apartment building in 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alexander |first=Otis |date=2021-04-21 |title=King Curtis (1934 -1971) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/king-curtis-1934-1971-2/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |language=en-US}}</ref> Cornelius Gunter was murdered in a Las Vegas parking garage in 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Coasters Lead Singer Cornelius Gunter Slain Inside Car |url=https://apnews.com/article/4ba4c34a2dde14055f2eb375f58d9437 |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref>