Clyde McPhatter, Englewood
Clyde McPhatter was inducted posthumously into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame twice (1987 and 1988), for his work in The Drifters and for his solo work. He was the first artist to be honored twice, a designation that is now known as “The Clyde McPhatter Club.” A certifiable 1950s doo-wop legend, his high-pitched tenor first fueled Billy Ward & His Dominoes (replaced by Jackie Wilson). Signed by Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, his Drifters tenure was short, interrupted when he served his country in the U.S. Army.
As a solo artist, the hits kept coming but the royalties were meager. With a career horribly mismanaged, he found himself broke, a legend, but not a success. When the hits dried up, he enjoyed a run in 1960s England before moving back to the states in Englewood, expecting a hero’s welcome but couldn’t buy a hit. The only comfort he found was in the bottle. Justafiably bitter, he kept looking in the 1970s for that elusive hit that would bring him back to his 1950s glory.
(Advertisement) Story continues below…
In the 1950s, he had recorded duets with Ruth Brown, with whom he had a brief affair, despite her being married to sax player Gator Jackson. He never knew that he fathered a son with her. Sinking into depression, in his last interview, he sadly said, “I have no fans.” He was wrong. Millions of people loved him, including The Isley Brothers and Smokey Robinson. His picture is on the 29-cent postage stamp alongside Otis Redding and Elvis Presley. He died at 39 of pneumonia on June 13, 1972,. His final resting place is in George Washington Memorial Cemetery in Paramus.
His legacy of 22 years of great studio work can be found in the songs “Money Honey,” “A Lover’s Question,” “Lovey Dovey,” “Lover Please,” “A Shot Of Rhythm’n’Blues,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Little Bitty Pretty One,” “The Glory Of Love,” “Long Lonely Nights” and “Treasure Of Love.”