Memories of You: My Life with Carl Edward Gardner, Original Lead Singer of the Coasters

By Veta Gardner

Memories of You is a compilation of author Veta Gardners recollections of her marriage with The Coasters lead singer Carl Gardner. She tells of his early days struggling to be discovered as an artist, his successes, and their life together on the road with The Coasters. They had 17 wonderful years before tragedies began to complicate their lives. Last year Veta lost Carl to devastating illnesses and, in Memories of You, she shares that emotional journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477245606

Veta Gardner

Author Veta Gardner, born in Kingston, Jamaica, has been Manager for The Coasters for over 20 years, and she also manages other rock & roll groups. In the mid-eighties she met The Coasters' lead singer, Carl Gardener, who was a neighbor in her apartment building. They became good friends, eventually dated, and married in 1987. Veta has also written two other books. The first, Yakety Yak I Fought Back, is a biography subtitled ‘My life with The Coasters’ as told by Carl Gardner. The second, Beyond the Dream, is an autobiography which includes her years in Jamaica. Veta currently lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida, near her sons and their families.

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© 2012 Veta Gardner. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 7/20/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4561-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4562-0 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-4560-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012912798

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Memories of You

the story of my life with

CAR! EDWARD GARDNER

The original lead singer of

THE COASTERS

by Veta Gardner

Contents

FOREWARD

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Carl Gardner, just out of the Army

Image351.JPG

Carl Gardner in the early days.

FOREWARD

It was the early fifties when Carl Gardner left his home and family in Tyler, Texas to find fame and fortune. With fifty dollars in his pocket and a few pieces of clothes on his back, he headed west with high hopes.

He was a young man determined to make it big, and ready to do whatever success required of him. A singing career was all he had dreamed about since he was five years old and now it was time to make that dream a reality. His destination was California because he knew that many entertainers had already made it big there.

Once in Los Angeles, he realized how difficult it was for a young black man to get through the necessary doors to be heard. Carl had very little experience, and no contacts; just his great voice.

Luckily he was able to stay with relatives. His two brothers, Richard and Howard, and his uncle and aunt on his mother’s side were in California.

In the evenings he would visit various night clubs and ask to sit in with some of the great bands of that era. One such group was that of jazz musician Carl Perkins. After hearing Carl sing, Perkins allowed him to sing occasionally at their gigs.

Carl had over 100 songs memorized before he arrived in California, and was able to sing them in any key. Being able to adapt to the key any band was playing gave him opportunities for some of the exposure he needed.

He also frequented the Barrelhouse nightclub run by Johnny Otis. Johnny had helped several artists get their starts, such as Little Esther and a black male group known more currently as The Robins. Johnny had an eight-piece combo band and was very successful.

In 1953, Tye Terrell, a member of The Robins, heard Carl sing at one