GERHART THE DRIFTER

Today would have been the 80th birthday of one of the original vocalists with The Drifters, Gerhart Thrasher, who was born in Wetumpka, Alabama. I often liked The Drifters, and they did give us both Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King, but there's no discernible connection between Bob Dylan and Gerhart Thrasher from Wetumpka. I just mention him here because I like the name (of person and place).

He was lead singer on 1955's ‘Driftin Away From You’ and 'Your Promise to be Mine’ in 1956. His brother Andrew was also in the group but left in 1955; Gerhart stayed until 1958. Thirty years later (and twenty years ago now) Gerhart was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This was a posthumous induction. He died of throat cancer in 1977.

(The uncredited photo of Andrew & Gerhart Thrasher, plus most career info, comes from the very handy www.thedrifters.co.uk/whoswho.php; birthdate and birthplace come from Eric LeBlanc's "Eric's Blues Dates", a rather elderly version of which can be reached inside here.)