i ▁and ▁a ▁woman , ▁Z ola ▁Taylor . ▁The ▁details ▁of ▁bar it one ▁H odge ' s ▁departure ▁are ▁mud dy ; ▁author ▁Peter ▁A . ▁Gr end ys a ▁says ▁H odge ▁was ▁fired ▁by ▁Ram ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁after ▁having ▁been ▁accused ▁of ▁possession ▁of ▁mar iju ana . ▁Book ers ▁and ▁the ▁record ▁company ▁were ▁told ▁that ▁H odge ▁was ▁let ▁go ▁for ▁b oun cing ▁a ▁ 1 5 - d ollar ▁check . ▁The ▁resulting ▁line - up , ▁the ▁one ▁remembered ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁group ' s ▁tim eless ▁hits , ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁group , ▁The ▁Plat ters ▁began ▁to ▁have ▁difficulties ▁with ▁the ▁public ▁after ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁four ▁male ▁members ▁were ▁arrested ▁in ▁C inc inn ati ▁on ▁drug ▁and ▁prost itution ▁charges . ▁Although ▁no ▁one ▁was ▁conv icted , ▁their ▁professional ▁reputation ▁was ▁seriously ▁dam aged ▁and ▁US ▁radio ▁stations ▁started ▁removing ▁their ▁records ▁from ▁play lists , ▁forcing ▁the ▁group ▁to ▁rely ▁more ▁heavily ▁on ▁European ▁book ings . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁lead ▁vocal ist ▁Williams ▁left ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁solo ▁career , ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁ten or ▁Son ny ▁Turner . ▁Mercur y ▁refused ▁to ▁issue ▁further ▁Plat ters ▁releases ▁without ▁Williams ▁on ▁lead ▁vocals , ▁prov oking ▁a ▁law suit ▁between ▁the ▁label ▁and ▁manager ▁Ram . ▁The ▁label ▁spent ▁two