A Durham-born singer who was a pioneering figure in rhythm and blues and early rock and roll will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker.
The marker commemorating the life and accomplishments of Clyde McPhatter will be dedicated Monday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. at the intersection of Pettigrew and Mangum streets in downtown Durham.
Born Nov. 15, 1932, in Durham, McPhatter grew up in a Baptist family where music played an important role in his life. He sang in the church choir as a child and became a soprano soloist by age 10. His family moved to New Jersey in the mid-1940s, and later to New York City, where he helped establish the Mount Lebanon Singers, a gospel group based in Harlem.
In 1950, McPhatter won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater and soon joined Billy Ward and His Dominoes as the group’s lead tenor. His distinctive, gospel-influenced singing helped the group reach national audiences through its rhythm and blues recordings. He left the Dominoes in 1953 to sign with Atlantic Records and form a new vocal group, The Drifters.
As the original lead singer of The Drifters, McPhatter recorded several successful songs, including “Money Honey,” which helped establish the group nationally. His time with the group ended in 1954 when he entered military service. After leaving the Army, he began recording as a solo artist in 1955.
The marker is part of N.C. Dept of Natural and Cultural Resources and DOT.