Lead Singer Of The Coasters Carl Gardner Dies

Lead singer of the Coasters, Car Gardner, passed away Sunday in Port St. Lucie, Florida after an extended illness. Gardner's signature vocals can be heard on Coasters' hits, "Yakety Yak", and "Charlie Brown". Gardner co-founded the band in 1955 and remained the only orignal member to perform with the Coasters throughout their many lineup changes. According to the New York Times, the Coasters were the brainchild of two songwriters:

The Coasters, one of the early black groups of the rock ’n’ roll era, specialized in witty story songs about characters who often exemplified the problems of teenagers. Formed at the suggestion of the songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who wrote much of the group’s material, they made their debut recording, “Down in Mexico,” in 1956.

Gardner was 83.