Zola Taylor
Encyclopedia
Zola Taylor, born Zoletta Lynn Taylor (March 17, 1938 – April 30, 2007 in Los Angeles, California
) was an American singer. She was the original female member of The Platters
from 1954 to 1962, when the group produced most of their popular singles.
. Taylor was the second of Frankie Lymon
's three wives. In 1984, on behalf of Emira Lymon, a lawyer and artist's agent sued to wrest the copyright
of Frankie's hit song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love
" away from the current owner. The case became confused when it looked like Lymon had a second and possibly a third widow. Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Maryland. However, it turned out she had been married to someone else at the time.
As Waters' claim went to court, Taylor claimed that she had been sexually active with Lymon as early as the "Biggest Rock "n" Roll Show of 1956" tour. She claimed to have married Lymon in Mexicali, Mexico around 1965, but could not produce a marriage license. The first hearing, held in Philadelphia, was decided in favor of Waters being Lymon's first wife. Emira Eagle, his third wife, appealed and won a reversal based on her claim that she was Lymon's first wife.
Zola Taylor was portrayed by Halle Berry
in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love
.
at age 69, from pneumonia
, following a series of stroke
s.
as a member of The Platters.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) was an American singer. She was the original female member of The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
from 1954 to 1962, when the group produced most of their popular singles.
Litigation
Zola Taylor was a member of The Platters until 1962, when she was replaced by singer Barbara RandolphBarbara Randolph
Barbara Randolph was an African American singer and actress who recorded for Motown Records in the 1960s.She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was adopted by the actress Lillian Randolph, who appeared in It's a Wonderful Life and many other movies...
. Taylor was the second of Frankie Lymon
Frankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
's three wives. In 1984, on behalf of Emira Lymon, a lawyer and artist's agent sued to wrest the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
of Frankie's hit song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboards Pop Singles chart, and number one on the UK Singles Chart...
" away from the current owner. The case became confused when it looked like Lymon had a second and possibly a third widow. Elizabeth Waters claimed to have married Lymon in 1964 in Maryland. However, it turned out she had been married to someone else at the time.
As Waters' claim went to court, Taylor claimed that she had been sexually active with Lymon as early as the "Biggest Rock "n" Roll Show of 1956" tour. She claimed to have married Lymon in Mexicali, Mexico around 1965, but could not produce a marriage license. The first hearing, held in Philadelphia, was decided in favor of Waters being Lymon's first wife. Emira Eagle, his third wife, appealed and won a reversal based on her claim that she was Lymon's first wife.
Zola Taylor was portrayed by Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)
Why Do Fools Fall in Love is an American romantic drama, directed by Gregory Nava and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is a biographical film of the brief but intense life of R&B/Rock & Roll singer Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the pioneering rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & the...
.
Death
Zola Taylor died in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at age 69, from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, following a series of stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s.
Accomplishments
In 1990, Taylor was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as a member of The Platters.