Carl Gardner
April 29, 1928 – June 12, 2011
Carl Gardner was the founder and front man of ’50s R&B group, the Coasters. Formed with Bobby Nunn, Billy Guy, Leon Hughes, and Adolph Jacobs in 1955, the Coasters went on to have several iconic hits including “Yakety Yak,” “Poison Ivy,” and “Charlie Brown – all of which had Gardner singing lead. The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups of their era that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Carl Gardner, the last surviving member of the original Coasters passed away from congestive heart failure on June 12, 2011. He was 83.
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