The Coasters are an American doo wop and early rock and roll group, evolving from The Robins, a Los Angeles based doo wop group. After The Robins signed with Atlantic Records (1955, after the chart success of "Smokey Joe's Cafe"), the group split up. Carl Gardner (tenor) and Bobby Nunn (bass) formed The Coasters.

The Coasters continued their association with the Robins' legendary songwriters, Leiber & Stoller. They soon added Billy Guy (baritone), Leon Hughes (tenor) and Adolph Jacobs (guitar), releasing their first single "Down in Mexico", an R&B hit in 1956. In 1957, The Coasters crossed over with "Young Blood"/"Searchin'". This was followed by a dry period, and the group relocated to New York City. Nunn and Hughes left, replaced by Will Dub Jones (bass, of The Cadets) and Obie Jessie. Jessie was soon replaced by Cornell Gunter (The Flairs). This new line-up released "Yakety-Yak", which included King Curtis on tenor saxophone. The song was a huge mainstream hit, as was the follow-up "Charlie Brown". This was followed by "Along Came Jones", "Poison Ivy", "Shoppin' for Clothes" and "Little Egypt".

A series of line-up changes contributed to a lack of hits in the 1960s. Earl Speedo Carroll (formerly and nowadays with The Cadillacs) and Ronnie Bright (from The Valentines became new tenor and bass singers and The Coasters signed with Columbia Records, but were never able to regain their former fame. The Coasters' last hit was "Love Potion No. 9" in 1971. In 1973 Jimmy Norman replaced Billy Guy. Several groups used the name in the 1970s, touring throughout the country, though Gardner held the legal rights to it. Nunn died in 1986, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one year later. Gunter was murdered in Las Vegas in 1990. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Jones died in 2000 and Guy in 2002. Gardner continued to tour as The Coasters and has made many attempts to stop bogus groups with no connection to the original group from using the name. In late 2005 Carl's son Carl Gardner Jr took over as lead with the group, when Sr semi-retired.

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Ok Kimmel time w/ @honorsociety all u west coasters go tune in : ) be back when it's over♥
mlovesjoe (Marisa Martinez) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:00:34 -0000
Ok Kimmel time w/ @honorsociety all u west coasters go tune in : ) be back when it's over♥
@BDaht or just some insomniac east coasters like myself lol
DrtySouthYankee (Pablo Picasso) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:51:30 -0000
@BDaht or just some insomniac east coasters like myself lol
East coasters make sure to watch Vh1 Top 20 in 15 minutes :)
santabillie (Jenn P) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:42:22 -0000
East coasters make sure to watch Vh1 Top 20 in 15 minutes :)
@tamsynromaine Yep the Blue Moon happens every two years and it happens ever 20 years on New Years! Thank you Blue Moon beer coasters!
princessdena (princessdena) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:07:06 -0000
@tamsynromaine Yep the Blue Moon happens every two years and it happens ever 20 years on New Years! Thank you Blue Moon beer coasters!
The guy at the bottleshop said this Californian beer was worth trying. I was already sold by the cardboard coasters http://twitpic.com/wbsxl
AndyBraithwaite (Andrew Braithwaite) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:01:54 -0000
The guy at the bottleshop said this Californian beer was worth trying. I was already sold by the cardboard coasters http://twitpic.com/wbsxl
Found this at castles and coasters yesterday. http://twitpic.com/wbsy6
Felix_A (Felix Armenta) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:01:37 -0000
Found this at castles and coasters yesterday. http://twitpic.com/wbsy6

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