Monday, Jul. 09, 2007

Beach music luminaries among thousands at Pinkney funeral

Updated 2:58 p.m. SUMTER — The Sumter Convention Center welcomed many friends of Willie "Bill" Pinkney today.

Pinkney, the last surving member of the original Drifters, died Wednesday in his hotel room in Daytona Beach, Fla. His funeral today was attended by more than 1,000 people, including many beach music lumninaries.

Among the mourners: Ben E. King, who sang many of the Drifters' biggest hits after Pinkney left the group. Jon "Bowzer" Bauman of Sha Na Na - who joined Pinkney in the fight to stop "fake" bands from using the names of classic groups like the Drifters - also was there, along with Billy Scott of Billy Scott and the Prophets, the Joe Pope Tams, Jackie Gore of the Embers and Johnny Mason of the Clovers.

"He was just a wonderful human being," Bauman said before the service.

Pinkney, who was a decorated war veteran, had his casket covered by an American flag. The atmosphere was calm and relatively subdued, much the same way Pinkney carried himself. Many of his family members wore pins with Pinkney's image on their lapels and dresses.

Several folks, including Harry Turner of Beach Music International and local TV personality Joe Pinner, eulogized Pinkney.

- Otis R. Taylor Jr.

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