The Coasters, 1958
From left: Billy Guy, Will Jones, Carl Gardner, Cornell Gunter and Adolph Jacobs
Photo by William Popsie Randolph
Carl Gardner, founder of The Coasters, was born 93 years ago today.
Gardner was known for the 1958 song, "Yakety Yak," which spent a week at #1 on the Hot 100 pop chart.
He was born in Tyler, Texas, to Rebecca and Robert Gardner. As a singer, his first major career success came with The Robins, a rhythm and blues group which had a big hit in 1955, "Smokey Joe's Café.”
After leaving that group, Gardner formed The Coasters with Robins' bass singer Bobby Nunn, Leon Hughes and Billy Guy in 1956, at the behest of the songwriting/producing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. They had a two-sided hit,"Youngblood," in 1957 (on which Gardner sang lead) and "Searchin'."
With new members Cornel Gunter and Will "Dub" Jones, The Coasters went on to produce several enduring classics of 1950s rock and roll music including "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown"and "Poison Ivy."
Gardner's son, Carl Jr., officially joined The Coasters in late 2005, after Gardner semi-retired, although Carl Jr. had been touring with them since at least 1998.
Carl Gardner, Sr. died on June 12, 2011, after suffering congestive heart failure and vascular dementia. Carl, Jr., took over as lead singer, but was fired by Veta Gardner, Carl’s wife, who took over managing the group.
Together Carl Jr. and Thomas (Curly) Palmer vowed to keep the legacy alive by a version of the group called, "The Coasters featuring Carl Gardner Jr. and Thomas Curly Palmer.” Carl Jr. and Palmer both recorded with The Coasters before Carl Sr.’s death.
Veta Gardner owns the rights to the Coasters name and now manages a group, which contains no original or recording members.