Fayrene “Faye” Treadwell, who as The Drifters’ manager was one of the first African-American female managers in show business, died recently in Burbank, Calif. She was 84.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Treadwell died from complications of breast cancer May 22.
After the 1967 death of her musician-manager husband, George Treadwell, she gained control and managed The Drifters, the R&B group best known for such hits as “This Magic Moment,” “Under the Boardwalk” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
Treadwell’s daughter, Tina, told the Los Angeles Times her mother was “very meticulous and specific about what the Drifters’ sound and look was like.”
Treadwell is survived by her daughter, stepdaughter, mother and two sisters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.