The Drifters are an American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the Drifters were the least stable of the great vocal groups, as they were low-paid musicians hired by George Treadwell, who owned the Drifters' name from 1955, after McPhatter left. There have been 60 vocalists in the history of the Treadwell Drifters line, including several splinter groups by former Drifters members (not under Treadwell's management).
