Today I stumbled across a story that originated in The Patriot Ledger and was also picked up and reported in The MetroWest DailyNews, The Brockton Enterprise and The Taunton Gazette. How odd that there has been no mention of this potential scandalous misrepresentation of the so called Platters at The Hanover Theatre in the Telegram and Gazette, our local newspaper which SHARES A PARKING LOT with The Hanover Theatre.
So was the T&G scooped right under their very own nose, or were they trying to sweep an embarrassing situation under the rug? You be the judge, but I vote for the latter.
Here's the deal:
26 states including Massachusetts have passed "Truth In Music" legislation which basically bans musical groups from using the name of a band if the band does not contain at least one original member of the band or have clear legal rights to the name. Bogus bands touring as The Platters, The Drifters and The Coasters are the most frequent victims, along with concert goers who may be duped into thinking that the band on stage contains some (or all) of the group's founding members.
The Hanover appears to be taking the line that they thought the band in question was legit and thought they had the legal docs to back it up. Since being contacted by the Massachusetts Attorney General The Hanover has removed the photo of Herb Reed from their website and now indicate that this is a Platters tribute.
I fully believe that the Hanover thought the group was on the up and up and was not out to dupe any theater goers. The bigger issue that I have is the Telegram & Gazette's lack of coverage. This is only the 2nd time that this law has been utilized since it was passed and The Hanover is literally a stones throw away from the T&G offices. It certainly seems that the T&G was attempting to keep this potentially embarrassing faux pas away from the eyes of the Worcester readership.
Patriot Ledger
Metro West Daily
Brockton Enterprise
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