Rudy Lewis
Encyclopedia
Rudy Lewis was an American
rhythm and blues
singer with The Drifters
. He was the lead singer on a few of their hits such as "Some Kind of Wonderful
", "Please Stay
", "On Broadway
", and "Up on the Roof
".
Lewis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and started out in gospel music with the Clara Ward Singers. In late 1960 he joined the Drifters as lead vocalist after he auditioned for the their manager, George Treadwell, at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater. Lewis was the lead vocalist for "Please Stay
," "Some Kind of Wonderful
" in 1961, "Up on the Roof
" in 1962, and "On Broadway
" in 1963. On May 21, 1964 when the group was due to record "Under the Boardwalk
" Lewis was found dead from the prior night so Johnny Moore
took over the lead vocals. In 1988, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as a member of The Drifters
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer with The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
. He was the lead singer on a few of their hits such as "Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 romance film starring Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, and Mary Stuart Masterson. It was one of the many successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s, although this one was directed by Howard Deutch. During filming, Deutch met Thompson and two years later...
", "Please Stay
Please Stay
"Please Stay" is a song by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, for her seventh studio album Light Years . The song was written by Minogue, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher and John Themis, while it was produced by Stannard and Gallagher. The song was chosen as the fourth single off...
", "On Broadway
On Broadway
"On Broadway" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in collaboration with the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Composition:...
", and "Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof is a musical by Simon Moore and Jane Prowse, which follows a decade in the lives of five friends who form an a cappella singing group at university....
".
Lewis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and started out in gospel music with the Clara Ward Singers. In late 1960 he joined the Drifters as lead vocalist after he auditioned for the their manager, George Treadwell, at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater. Lewis was the lead vocalist for "Please Stay
Please Stay
"Please Stay" is a song by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, for her seventh studio album Light Years . The song was written by Minogue, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher and John Themis, while it was produced by Stannard and Gallagher. The song was chosen as the fourth single off...
," "Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 romance film starring Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, and Mary Stuart Masterson. It was one of the many successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s, although this one was directed by Howard Deutch. During filming, Deutch met Thompson and two years later...
" in 1961, "Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof is a musical by Simon Moore and Jane Prowse, which follows a decade in the lives of five friends who form an a cappella singing group at university....
" in 1962, and "On Broadway
On Broadway
"On Broadway" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in collaboration with the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Composition:...
" in 1963. On May 21, 1964 when the group was due to record "Under the Boardwalk
Under the Boardwalk
"Under the Boardwalk" is a hit pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964.-Premise:The lyric describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a...
" Lewis was found dead from the prior night so Johnny Moore
Johnny Moore (musician)
Johnny Moore was an American rhythm and blues singer with The Drifters.Born John Alfred Moore in Selma, Alabama, United States, he began as lead of the Cleveland based group, The Hornets, before being discovered by The Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist, in New York in 1955, at age 21...
took over the lead vocals. In 1988, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as a member of The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
.