The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter, ‘Money Honey, Live on Stage’

© Lew Allen
Rochester, U.S.A. 15 October 1958
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity

This photography work depicts singer at the Community War Memorial in Rochester. McPhatter was one of the most influential R&B singers of the '50s and early '60s. In his own time, his name and voice loomed so much larger than that of the group the Drifters, which he founded, that it took five years for them to recover from his departure. The Drifters early rock hit of 1953, ‘Money Honey’, was covered by Elvis Presley in 1956. Elvis paved the way for the early ‘Rock Party' bus tours, when musicians travelled by bus, helped each other creatively, carried their own equipment and were backed by the local orchestra. These bus tours were truly the first integrated shows where the artists travelled together regardless of their race or background. Lew Allen photographed two of these ‘Rock Party' bus tours.

This series of stunning images were captured by Lew Allen in Cleveland and New York from 1956 to ‘58, Allen’s work features a stellar assemblage of early rock ’n’ roll icons. His lens embodies one of the last links to visually document those early days when rock was just beginning. This remarkable work takes you back to a time before these rock pioneers rose to legendary status.

About Lew Allen
Currently residing in America, Lew Allen received a Bachelor’s degree of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1961 and studied with photographers Minor White, Ralph Hattersley and attended lectures from Ansel Adams and other noted photographers. Lew Allen’s photography was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London -in conjunction with a BBC documentary featuring his story of Elvis. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery selected his work for their permanent collection.

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