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Last Original Drifter, Bill Pinkney, Dies at Age 81

July 5, 2007 6:25 PM ET

81-year-old Bill Pinkney, the last remaining original member of the Drifters, was found dead in a Florida hotel room Wednesday night, just hours before he was supposed to perform at a July Fourth celebration with the Original Drifters. Pinkney was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted R&B group from 1953 to 1958, during which time they dominated the charts with hits like "Such a Night" and "Adorable."

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