Clyde McPhatter, who died aged 39 in 1972, was an American singer whose
gospel-styled approach to rhythm and blues made him one of the definitive voices
of the 1950s. His influence on rock & roll was profound and he was the first
artist to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll of Fame, first as a solo
artist and then as a member of the singing group the Drifters.
Born in North Carolina, the son of a preacher, he started singing in a gospel
choir as a child and after his family moved to New York , he formed the Mount
Lebanon Singers. After he won first prize in the famous Am...