American singer Clyde Lensley McPhatter sang rock & roll, soul, and rhythm and blues. He was born on November 15, 1932, and died on June 13, 1972.
He was a significant contributor to the development of doo-wop and R&B and one of the most frequently imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960s.
What was Clyde McPhatter biggest hit?
“A Lover’s Question,” a top 10 triumph on the pop charts and a #1 sale on the R&B listings, was McPhatter’s biggest hit on Atlantic in 1958.
In 1959, he released three additional charting songs, none of which peaked in the Top 10.
McPhatter’s legacy includes more than 22 years of recorded history. Initially, as a solo performer and subsequently as a member of the Drifters, he was the first artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
The “Clyde McPhatter Club” refers to subsequent double and triple honorees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Being the son of the Rev. George McPhatter and his wife Beulah, he was brought up in a Baptist household (some accounts refer to her as Eva). He joined his three brothers and three sisters in the gospel choir at his father’s church when he was five years old. Clyde was the choir’s soprano soloist when he was ten years old.
