Died On This Date (June 12, 2011) Carl Gardner / The Coasters
themusicsover 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.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist
What You Should Own
Bobby Nunn was an R&B singer who first came to some prominence as a singer in the ’50s vocal group, the Coasters. During those early years, Nunn also made a handful of recordings with 
Billy Guy is best remembered as the bass vocalist in the 1950s R&B vocal group, the Coasters. It is he who sang lead on “Searchin,” “Run Red Run,” and numerous others. The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Guy was also respected for his comedic abilities, as evident on a handful of comedy records he made outside of the Coasters. In later years, Guy worked as a producer, working on several albums between the late ’60s and early ’70s. Billy Guy, 66, died of cardiovascular disease in his Las Vegas home on November 5, 2002.