Fayrene “Faye” Treadwell
September 5, 1926 – May 22, 2011
As one of the first African-American female artist managers in the entertainment industry, Faye Treadwell blazed the trail for women executives to follow ever since. After the 1967 death of her husband and then-manager of R&B greats, the Drifters, Treadwell bought out his business partners and took over as manager of the group. Prior to that, Treadwell handled administrative and publicity duties for the group. For the better part of the next four decades, she guided the various incarnations of the Drifters that counted as many as 50 members along the way. That list includes Ben E. King, Bill Pinkney, Clyde McPhatter, Ali-Ollie Woodson, Johnny Moore, and Rudy Lewis. During the early ’70s, Treadwell moved the singers – then fronted by Moore – to London where such American groups of that era were held in a higher regard. Throughout the years, Treadwell fought and won landmark court battles against others for infringing on the Drifters’ trademark by performing under their name. Faye Treadwell retired in 2001 and passed away from complications of breast cancer on May 22, 2011. She was 84.