1907-1991
Buck Ram
1907-1991
Buck Ram
Samuel "Buck" Ram was an American songwriter, popular music producer, and arranger. He is best known for his work with The Platters, an American vocal group formed in 1952. He was born Samuel Ram in Chicago, Illinois in 1907, to Jewish parents. Ram had a deep interest in music from an early age, particularly classical music, but his mother wanted him to be a lawyer. He taught himself the violin as a boy and began to play in an orchestra in his early teens until a football accident at age 15 fractured his hand and forced him to switch to the saxophone. Despite the injury, Ram continued to study classical music, even as he attended the University of Illinois as a pre-law major. Though he did pass the bar exam in 1933 he never practiced law, he handed his diploma to his mother and told her he was moving to New York to pursue the music business. Once he arrived in New York he got a job with Mills Music, a major publishing house, and studied music arranging with Joseph Schillinger.
Ram worked as a music arranger on Tin Pan Alley and wrote and/or arranged for Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Cozy Cole, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Woody Herman. In addition, he also wrote special material for the Cotton Club and other top nightspots in New York. He met and became close friends with Duke Ellington. The two would often hang out at the Apollo Theater, and it was here that Ram first saw Ella Fitzgerald perform. Enthralled by her voice he brought American jazz drummer and band leader, Chick Webb to watch her performance. Fitzgerald sneaked into Webb's dressing room a few weeks later and began singing with his band. Ram kept in contact with the two and helped Webb and Fitzgerald write "Chew Chew Chew Your Bubble Gum" together.
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He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1940s to compose for films. In 1945, he co-wrote a huge hit, "Twilight Time," for the Three Suns. In 1950 Ram started Personality Productions, a talent management company that began by representing country and western performers including Texas Tiny, Jack Hawkins, and Mary Rose Bruce. During this time Ram developed a reputation as an honest and aggressive representative as well as an excellent coach and teacher for groups looking to improve their musical skills. Ram however was still looking for a group that could sing the songs he wrote. When Tony Williams, the brother of singer Linda Hayes, auditioned for him, Ram found the voice he had been looking for. He convinced Williams he needed to work with a group and brought in three new members. The group began calling themselves “The Platters”. Ram transformed the Platters and changed their rhythm and blues, building around Williams' voice to make them sound like the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots.
Ram took credit for refining the group's sound and image. He produced all their from their signing with Mercury Records until his death and wrote their biggest hits including "Only You (And You Alone)", "The Great Pretender", "(You've Got) The Magic Touch", "Twilight Time", and "Enchanted". Ram wrote the lyrics to "The Great Pretender" in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas after being asked what The Platters’ follow-up to "Only You" would be. Ram’s other hits include "Come Prima (For the First time)" written for Mario Lanza's last movie and recorded by a dozen artists, "Foot Stomping" with Aaron Collins recorded by The Flares, "Judy's in Love" recorded by Ike Clanton, "I Complained" recorded by Mahalia Jackson and many more. In addition to The Platters Ram had other successful clients, including Robin Robinson ("I Promise You"). He also started up his own label, Antler Records. The Platters’ success lasted into the early '60s. After the departure of Tony Williams, who wanted a solo career, the group took a downturn. And over time, the original members exited.
Ram died on the first day of 1991 at the age of 83 in Las Vegas Nevada, having proved himself a gifted composer, arranger, manager, and producer from the 1930s onward. Buck Ram, became known as one of the most successful producers, arrangers, managers, and songwriters in R&B. also wrote, produced, and arranged for the Penguins, the Coasters, the Drifters, Ike and Tina Turner, Ike Cole, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/airplay in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Webb, and Paul McCartney.
