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Lead singer from The Platters, Sonny Turner, performs in Las Vegas at The Suncoast showroom, Dec 4, 5 and 6, 2009.

A native of West Virginia, Turner and his family moved to Cleveland when he was a child. Turner first followed in his father’s footsteps as a boxer, becoming a Golden Gloves fighter before leaving the sport to pursue a singing career. Gigs at amateur shows and local clubs led to a recording contract for Turner’s group, the Metrotones. This set the stage for his future success with The Platters.

Turner burst onto the national music scene in 1959, when he was chosen from among 100 prospects to replace The Platters’ original lead singer Tony Williams.

Starting at the young age of 19, Turner toured the world with The Platters and gained popularity as the new sound of the group, with such hits as “I Love You 1000 Times,” “With This Ring” and “Washed Ashore.” He also re-recorded the group’s major hits including “Only You,” “The Great Pretender” and “The Magic Touch.”

In 1970, Turner left The Platters to pursue a solo career that brought him international fame. In doing so, he established his own fan base and following. Turner later lent his voice to such films as “Nutty Professor II” starring Eddie Murphy, and “Hearts in Atlantis” starring Anthony Hopkins.

In 2005, Turner received The Lifetime Excellence in Entertainment Award in Las Vegas. He was also inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame and The Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America for his musical contributions to The Platters. Along with Herb Reed, bass singer and founder of The Platters, Turner is one of just two surviving members of the sensation that became one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Turner continues to keep the music alive through concert appearances around the world.

Tickets can be purchased for the Las Vegas show by calling the Box Office at 702.636.7075 or visiting www.suncoastcasino.com and are now available at $19.95, plus tax. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 3:13 am and is filed under Las Vegas News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.