Cornell Gunter

Cornell Gunter (14 November 1936 – 26 February 1990) was an American rhythm and blues singer, most active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born Cornelius E Gunter in Coffeyville, Kansas, and died in Las Vegas, Nevada, after he was shot.

Biography

Gunter was an original member of The Platters. He had recorded with the yet-unnamed Platters singing back-up on Big Jay McNeely's recording "Nervous Man Nervous" on Federal Records in 1953. He also was a member of The Flairs and The Coasters. The title song from the 1957 Susan Oliver movie, The Green Eyed Blonde, was sung by Gunter. After he left The Coasters, he toured with Dinah Washington. In 1963, he formed his own Coasters group; they were usually billed as "The Fabulous Coasters". Gunter made several solo singles in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including a cover version of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" on Dot Records in 1957.

Cornell's sister, Shirley Gunter, also recorded with The Flairs and released solo records in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ace Records released a compilation album in 2006 of Shirley's recordings from the 1950s entitled Oop Shoop: The Flair and Modern Recordings 1953-1957.

Another sister, Gloria Gunter, recorded a single "Move On Out" b/w "Your Love Reminds Me" (Arch #1610) in 1959. "Move On Out" was an answer to The Coasters' hit "Yakety Yak", on which Cornell sang. Both sides of the record were made available on CD in 2006. "Move On Out" appears on Rock 'n' Roll Mamas (Popcorn #6004), and "Your Love Reminds Me" appears on Rare Female Doo Wops (Popcorn #6005).

Cornell (who was gay and, in later years, preferred to spell his name Cornell Gunther) was in the process of making a new comeback, when an unknown assassin shot him in his automobile in Las Vegas, at the age of 54.[1]

Discography

Singles

• "True Love" / "Peek, Peek-A-Boo" (Loma #701) (1955) (as The Ermines)
• "You Broke My Heart" / "Pretty Baby I’m Used To You Now" (Loma #703) (1956) (with The Ermines)
• "Keep Me Alive" / "Muchacha, Muchacha" (Loma #704) (1956) (with The Ermines)
• "I'm Sad" / "One Thing For Me" (Loma #705) (1956) (with The Ermines)
• "She Loves To Rock" / "In Self Defense" (ABC Paramount #9698) (1956) (with The Flairs)
• "You Send Me" / "Call Me A Fool" (Dot #15654) (1957)
• "Baby Come Home" / "I Want You Madly" (Eagle #301) (1957)
• "If We Should Meet Again" / "Neighborhood Dance" (Liberty #55096) (1957) (as Cornel Gunter)
• "Lift Me Up Angel" / "Rope Of Sand" (Warner Brothers #5266) (1962)
• "It Ain't No Use" / "In A Dream Of Love" (Warner Brothers #5292) (1962)
• "If I Had The Key To Your Heart" / "Wishful Thinking (Challenge #59281) (1965) (as Cornell Gunter and The Cornells)
• "Love In My Heart" / "Down In Mexico" (Together #101) (1976)

Book references

• The Coasters (by Bill Millar) (Star Books) (1974)
• L. A. R&B Vocal Groups 1945-1965 (by Steve Propes and Galen Gart) (Big Nickel Publications) (2001)

External links

• [http://www.cornellgunterscoastersinc.com/ The Original Cornell Gunter's Coasters website
• The Coasters Web Site
• Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks - The Flairs
• Rock Hall of Fame
• Find A Grave Memorial