Coasters co-founder and lead singer Carl Gardner has died

[J.A.W.]

Carl Gardner, co-founder and lead singer of the Coasters, has died at 83. He was their last surviving member.

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Edited June 14, 2011 by J.A.W.

[GA Russell]

I saw Cornell Gunther in Washington in 1972 I think. Maybe it was 1975. Since then I thought that he was the lead singer.

[Harold_Z]

RIP Carl. Sorry to hear this. I played many gigs behind the Coasters in the 70s and early 80s. Carl was a really nice guy.

There were a couple of versions of the Coasters. Carl's group was a New York based unit while I think Cornell Gunter worked Vegas and the west coast more. It was Carl who sang lead on Young Blood, Smoky Joe's Cafe, Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown and most of the hits. Billy Guy sang lead on Searchin', Little Egypt and a few others I can't remember right now. Not sure what Cornell Gunter sang lead on but I know he was a member early in their history when they were based in LA.

[J.A.W.]

NY Times obit

[J.A.W.]

According to the discographies in the booklets of my Sequel/Atco CDs The Coasters, One by One and Coast Along with the Coasters Carl Gardner sang lead on most songs.

[J.A.W.]

BBC obit

[Stereojack]

RIP Carl. Sorry to hear this. I played many gigs behind the Coasters in the 70s and early 80s. Carl was a really nice guy.

There were a couple of versions of the Coasters. Carl's group was a New York based unit while I think Cornell Gunter worked Vegas and the west coast more. It was Carl who sang lead on Young Blood, Smoky Joe's Cafe, Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown and most of the hits. Billy Guy sang lead on Searchin', Little Egypt and a few others I can't remember right now. Not sure what Cornell Gunter sang lead on but I know he was a member early in their history when they were based in LA.

The original group, formed in 1956, was Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Leon Hughes, and Bobby Nunn. In 1958, Hughes and Nunn were replaced by Cornell Gunter and Will "Dub" Jones. It was this lineup that recorded most of the classic hits - Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown, etc. Cornell Gunter was replaced by Earl Carroll in 1961. Gunter went on to lead his own version of the Coasters into the 1970's, although Gardner owned the name.

Cornell Gunter sang lead on Zing Went the Strings of my Heart.

[paul secor]

The Coasters were part of my teen age years. Loved their records.

R.I.P., Mr. Gardner.