"True Love"/"Peek, Peek-A-Boo"
by Cornel Gunter And The Ermines
on Loma 701
released in 1955
Above: Late 1955 photo of Cornel Gunter And The Ermines (Top Left Clockwise) Cornell Gunter (lead tenor), Thomas Miller (baritone), Kenneth Byley (first tenor), and George Hollis (bass). Gunter had been with The Flairs on the Flair label (1953-55)Click HERE for an article about The Flairs (including Cornell Gunter, The Ermines) by Marv Goldberg.
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Jet Magazine (3/19/90) Cornell Gunter (2nd, r), with The Coasters (l-r), Will Jones, Carl Gardner and Billy Guy, enjoyed string of hits in '50s.
Cornelius Gunter, 53, Singer With Coasters Fatally Shot
Cornelius (Cornell) Gunter, 53, of the group The Coasters whose string of hits in the 1950s including Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown earned them a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was recently shot to death by an unknown assailant in Las Vegas.
Witnesses told police Gunter's car was parked in a residential area of the adjoining city of North Las Vegas and a thin Black man was standing on the driver's side talking to the singer.
They apparently got into a loud argument, said North Las Vegas Police Lt. Gary Rainey. "People heard a couple of shots. Then the car took off, went about a block, then hit a block wall." The suspect was seen fleeing the scene with a gun, Rainey said. He said police had no motive for the slaying, and they were questioning witnesses at Jet press time.
Gunter, a tenor, joined The Coasters in 1957, two years after the group was formed in Los Angeles. The group, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987, also enjoyed success with the hit tunes Along Came Jones and Poison Ivy in 1959, and Love Potion No. 9 in 1971. Gunter was scheduled to perform at the Lady Luck hotel-casino in Las Vegas. The act was billed as Cornell Gunter and His Coasters.
Meanwhile, Bill Cosby and Sammy Davis Jr. have decided to foot the bill for the funeral of Gunter. The L.A. Times reported that Cosby, who was appearing in Las Vegas and Davis, who is still recovering from throat cancer, decided to take care of the expenses because Gunter had no money. Cosby was quoted as saying the effort was "a gesture of friendship and respect for Cornell Gunter and in recognition of his talent and contributions in the field of music and entertainment."
Above: Label image of Loma 701 released in September 1955. The flip was composed by Reba M. Gunter. This is the first of four by Cornel Gunter And The Ermines on the Loma label (1955-56).Listen to this week's selections by the Cornel Gunter And The Ermines on Loma 701 from 1955:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...
1. True Love
2. Peek, Peek-A-Boo
BOTH played in sequenceB. Download RealAudio...
1. True Love
2. Peek, Peek-A-BooC. Stream/Download Media Player...
1. True Love
2. Peek, Peek-A-Boo
November 1955 Clipping
[To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]
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