BOSTON: Herb Reed, the last surviving original member of the 1950s vocal group the Platters, has died. The group's hits like "Only You" propelled them to stardom.

His manager says Reed died Monday at a Boston-area hospice. He was 83.

Reed founded the Platters in 1952 and sang bass on the group's four No. 1 hits, including "The Great Pretender," ''My Prayer," ''Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

The Platters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Reed was the only member of the group to appear on all of its nearly 400 recordings. He continued touring, performing up to 200 shows per year, until last year.