September 1: Tommy Evans of the "ever-drifting" Drifters is 85-years-old today.

The Drifters, known for classics including "Up on the Roof," "Under the Boardwalk," might not have been singing about romance and as much as a way to get away from legal entanglements, threats and line-up changes that plagued the group over the years.

In the '50s, there was so much acrimony there were two groups named the Drifters, one dubbed "The Original Drifters" who didn't do much more than perform in clubs before splitting up. It's as if the group did more drifting apart than singing together. (At one point a group named The Drapers had more members from the Drifters than the Drifters did.)

Still, at different times, the group featured legendary names including Clyde McPhatter, Johnny Moore and Ben E. King.


Tommy Evans first joined the group in mid-1956 and again in 1958. Singing bass, he was a member when they scored the top ten hit, "Fools Fall in Love" that same year (number 69 Pop and number 10 R&B) and "Drip Drop" the following year. Tommy Evans. Evans had been with the group in mid-1956 and again in 1958. In 1963, he was back for his third stint as bass of the Drifters. Evans left in 1963 after "Up on the Roof" and "On Broadway."

As an aside, the blues guitar you hear in "On Broadway" was played by record producer  - and future convicted murderer - Phil Spector.

Even after he left the group, Tommy Evans occasionally showed up at Drifters recording sessions or did overdubbing on Drifters recordings - including "Under the Boardwalk," although there is no official proof of this.

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