Music vets bring down House for 'Truth in Rock Act'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One might be surprised to see that acts like The Platters or the Supremes -- staples of oldies radio -- are still touring.

So are they.

Several veterans of rhythm and blues, doo-wop and girl group acts from the 1950s and 1960s say they're being cheated by look- and sound-alike acts touring under their names. They were in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to endorse a bill that would change federal trademark law to protect them from impostors.

The performers want greater authority to challenge competing acts performing under the names that topped the charts.

Mary Wilson -- who, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, made up the Supremes -- said any large company would move to stop someone selling a counterfeit product.

"We have women out there who say they are the Supremes," Wilson said. "Well, Florence Ballard died penniless, and her children are practically on the streets. Yet you have people running around saying they are the Supremes."

The unlikely lobbyists got to show off some of their moves as well. Wilson struck her band's famous "Stop!" pose, while Anita Baker, Debbie Gibson, and Peter, Paul and Mary's Peter Yarrow led several members of Congress in a chorus of "This Land Is Our Land."

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), calls his bill the "Truth in Rock Act." He said fans who go to see substitute groups get cheated, and original artists lose out on a potential gig.

"At any given time, there are five fake Drifter groups, six fake Platter groups, a couple of fake Supremes, and an imposter Sam and Dave, to name a few," said Kucinich said.

Only about the music?

The bill was inspired largely by New York promoter Larry Marshak, who packages multiple slates of Platters, Drifters and Coasters. Marshak says everything he does is aboveboard.

"We make no illusions to be otherwise than what they are," Marshak said. "Nobody expects to see the original members when they see us."

That particularly rankles Sam Moore, half of "Soul Man" team Sam & Dave.

"It is arrogance. It's like we don't exist," Moore said. "One radio personality said to me, 'Well, Sam, what does it matter, it's only about the music.' Sorry, it's not," Moore said.

At one point, Moore lost his home to legal fees, his wife Joyce said.

Jon Bauman, Sha Na Na's Bowzer, told of watching replacements "standing on stage saying 'I recorded this song in 1962,' when they had nothing to do with that song in 1962."

New York agent John Villano, who represents members of the Platters, Coasters and Drifters, said changing the law today will benefit the oldies acts of tomorrow.

"Twenty years from now, when the Spice Girls aren't spicy anymore, there's going to be some unscrupulous idiot who puts five girls out there, and your kids and grandkids are not going to know the difference," Villano said.