The Drifters & The Drifters Legends on the Road/Life Under The Brand

It should be clear by this day in time to those who have
followed the Drifters over the years that we are working
with a brand name which in many ways is like any other
name that has become synonymous with what the product is about.


Re-branding is the creation of a new name, term, symbol,
design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated (new) position in the mind of stakeholders and competitors.

However, the main reason for a re-brand is to communicate
a new message for a company, something that has evolved,
or the new board of directors wish to communicate.

Prism Music Group who now holds the worldwide licensing
and management of the group has worked tirelessly in
re-branding the name after much abuse and misuse by former
members, fake groups and even the original management over
the years.

Yet most fail to realize that the Drifters for the most
part started with much of that concept in mind from the
very start.

Back in the early year of 1954 when the name was acquired by
then the Legendary George Treadwell who at that time managed
such great stars as Sammy Davis Jr., Billie Holiday and
Sarah Vaughn the group was managed then through a New York
corporation Drifters Inc.that he formed that same year.

Though Mr. Treadwell owned all the stock in the company,
he managed the company with his two partners, Irving
Nahan and Louis Lebish. Mr Lebish acted as accountant
and bookkeeper for The Drifters Incorporated.

The Entertainment side of the business was handled
by Treadwell and was assisted by his wife Fayrene
and Irving Nahan.

Working together they exercise complete artistic
control over the group. They hired and fired singers who
performed under the name, paid them salaries, selected all
the music and arrangement and over all made the musical
and business decisions relating to live performances and
recording contracts.

In 1959, The Drifters inc. amended it's Certificate of
incorporation whereas George Treadwell, Lewish Lebish and
Irving Nahan became equal owners of the corporation.

Fay Treadwell inherited her husband's stock in the company
in 1967. She later brought out Nahan and Lebish shares and
around 1970, she became the sole shareholder of the
Drifters incorporated.

Though much of this concept still exist on and into this
day and time, it had fostered many problems with it's
members over mismanagement, payment issues and the right
to be called a Drifter.

Members found themselves forced to form hybrid groups
under the trade name even though they signed agreements
barring them from doing so.

This in turn created more fake groups over the years and
pirate promoters who jumped in to capitalize on the goodwill
of the name.

For more information you can log into http://www.theofficialdrifters.com

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