More Miscellaneous

I am spending much of the week trying to take my mind off of upcoming things. I just started going to Hot August Nights events. I just returned back from a "free" concert at the Grand Sierra Resort of the Crystals, one of my favorite girl groups of the 1960s. As you can expect, there were numerous changes over the years from the original lineup; however, Delores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew has been with the group since the very beginning, and she owns the rights to the group name.

As people know, in Nevada NO group can call itself a famous entertainment act without at least one original member in it. Call it "truth in music advertising," and it is a good idea. For example, at one point some 125 groups were calling themselves "The Platters," and it created a mess.

Wikipedia:

A number of legal challenges have developed among the many groups of Platters. Monroe Powell was sued by Jean Bennett, and his group must now include his name in billing (e.g. The Platters feat. Monroe Powell). Those looking to hear the classic lineup of songs had their pick of approved, disputed, and ersatz Platters, such as Sonny Turner's, Zola Taylor's, Ritchie Jones' (member 1984-85), Milton Bullock's (member 1967-70), the late Paul Robi's (managed by his wife), Jean Bennett's "Buck Ram" Platters, Monroe Powell's , Herb Reed's, and several groups with no current ties to the original group (many had once contained former members, who were retired or deceased).

Shortly before Paul Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and exclusive rights to the "Platters" name. In turn, those rights were later stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Herb Reed. In 2002, Herb Reed's exclusive trademark rights were legally rescinded. A member of the 1954-69 lineup, his group still tours as Herb Reed's Platters. In 2007, he discussed the abundance of touring Platters groups: "I have to laugh because when you ask me how I feel about it, I'm irate, I'm infuriated... I've lost 25 weeks of work a year."

In January 2006, Jean Bennett, owner of Five Platters Inc., and Personality Productions since 1966, entered into an agreement to sell all of her Platters-related assets and intellectual property rights to the Las Vegas-based company G.E.M. Group, Inc. There was immediate disagreement between G.E.M. and Bennett, and a lawsuit was filed. In June 2006, G.E.M. Group entered into an agreement with Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters, to be licensed as another of the "official" Platters groups. Turner, who had not been able to bill himself as Sonny Turner of The Platters since 1972 due to a legal injunction, became the leader of "The Platters starring the legendary Sonny Turner". He performs internationally under the management wing of G.E.M.

Herb Reed is the sole surviving singing member of the original group.

There were many complaints of knock-off groups posing as though they were originals. In Nevada at least it is illegal.

I picked up an autograph picture of the current Crystals lineup and had Dee Dee sign my CD booklet of The Best of the Crystals since she is an original member. She is 63 according to USA People Search and Wikipedia, very petite, and looks very good.