Legendary singer Charlie Thomas has passed away aged 85.
The American singer who was part of The Drifters for more than 60 years died from liver cancer, revealed his friend, singer Peter Lemongello Jr.
Charlie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and dedicated more than 60 years to keeping the group’s music alive for future generations.
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He stayed with The Drifters from the version of them that celebrated their first hits in the late 1950s, which included belters like Save The Last Dance for Me, which reached number one on the Billboard Charts, to when he toured with the band until the pandemic more recently closed the concert circuit.
(Image: Getty Images)
Charlie was a tenor and sang lead on hits Sweets for My Sweet which hit number 16 on the Hot 100 in 1961, and When My Little Girl Is Smiling, reaching number 28 the following year.
The R&B legend was singing with the Five Crowns, a doo-wop group, at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1958 when he captured the attention of George Treadwell, the original Drifters’s manager.
He was born in Lynchburg in, Virginia, on April 7, 1937, and his father, Willis, was a minister, and his mother, Lucinda Thomas, was a homemaker.
(Image: WireImage)
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He is survived by his wife, Rita Thomas; his daughters, Crystal Thomas Wilson and Victoria Green; his sons, Charlie Jr., Michael Sidbury and Brian Godfrey. And many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Fans have since taken to social media to share their condolences and pay tribute.
Friend Adam Nelson tweeted: “I had the great fortune of capturing the legendary Charlie Thomas of ‘The Drifter’ as he sang his iconic chart-topper ‘Under the Boardwalk’ on the historic Asbury Park Boardwalk. He was the very sound of the sea.”
(Image: Michael Ochs Archives)
“Saddened to report that another music legend has left us. Rest in peace, Charlie Thomas of the Drifters,” penned one heartbroken fan.
A third tweeted: “Sadly, we lost another good friend today, Charlie Thomas of the Drifters. Rest in peace, Charlie. We will miss you. Legend.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
