Carl Gardner, original lead singer of the R&B group the Coasters, has died in Florida  following a long bout with congestive heart failure and vascular dementia.  He was 83.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Coasters had a string of hits in the late 1950s, including "Searchin'," ''Poison Ivy" and "Young Blood." Their single "Yakety Yak" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its 1958 release. It also spent seven weeks as the No. 1 rhythm and blues song.  The Coasters have continued to perform over the decades, with multiple changes to the lineup. Gardner has always held the rights to the group's name, and his son, Carl Gardner Jr., took over as lead singer when his father retired in 2005.

Gardner had been a longtime advocate for legislation that would prevent bogus groups from using the names of famous acts like The Coasters, The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Platters and many others. Florida lawmakers passed such legislation in 2007.  Read more here. AP Photo/ Ron Frehm from file (1988)

---

---