Since 1988, Rudy Lewis has been a certified member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with legendary soul band, The Drifters. After lead singer Ben E. King left the group in pursuit of a solo career, the band needed a new front man - step forward Rudy Lewis. Replacing Ben E. King would be quite a daunting task for most musicians, considering both King's success and popularity. However, Rudy Lewis' audition was considered perfect for the role and was therefore hired on the spot; making The Drifters whole again. Lewis made some beautiful music with the group before his untimely death in 1964. Ironically, the band were scheduled to record 'Under the Boardwalk' when the singer passed away; a song that was written specifically to fit Rudy Lewis' voice. The band would still have great mainstream success with the record, though featuring the vocals of a different lead singer. Lewis was found dead in his hotel room in Harlem with the presumed cause being a heroin overdose. As for The Drifters, they are still active today and since forming in 1953 have had an astonishing fifty one different people make up the four piece group throughout the years. So if you ever hear someone claiming they were in band, they're probably telling the truth.
A wrestling enthusiast, currently educating the youth of Taiwan English; there are now a bunch of Asian kids running around with Yorkshire accents. Read about that trip and others at dragonstravel.com.
