This course covers the fascinating and complex history of two of rock ‘n roll’s most successful and storied groups: the Drifters and the Platters. Both formed in the early 1950’s on different coasts (the Drifters in New York, and the Platters in Los Angeles), the Drifters enjoyed top-40 recording success in both the United States and Great Britain over more than a 20-year period, selling more than 200 million records. The Platters produced chart-topping records for over a decade and sold over 80 million records. But with commercial success often comes litigation, and, in the cases of the Platters and the Drifters, it came in boatloads. There are more than 200 reported judicial decisions involving litigation around either the Drifters or the Platters. In this course, Paul will make a case for the proposition that the legal organization of both groups is what led to the flood of litigation.

A native of Louisiana, Paul Hood obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University and an LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center before settling down in the New Orleans area. Paul has taught at the University of Toledo College of Law and Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. A passionate history buff, Paul teaches history of tax law, and he has taught courses and given numerous speeches about a wide variety of historical subjects from the history of the papacy/popes to the governors of Louisiana.