Charlie Thomas.Photo: The Photo Access/Alamy Live News
Charlie Thomas, a member of The Drifters for more than 60 years, has died. He was 85.
The musician’s friend and fellow singer Peter Lemongello Jr.confirmed Thomas' deathon Instagram on Jan. 31. Speaking toThe New York Timeson Monday, he added that Thomas died followingcomplications from liver cancer.
“I am completely devastated and shattered after losing my best friend of so many years, Charlie Thomas, the last original recording member of The Legendary Drifters,” Lemongello wrote on Instagram.
“Charlie was with the group longer and on more hit records than any other member in history,” he added. “His accomplishments were recognized when he was 1 of just 7 members of The Drifters to be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. I have so many fond memories that we have spent together through much of my life growing up, that I will cherish forever. I can still hear Charlie proclaim ‘Peter Is A Star!’ which he would often tell me and whoever was around.““I’ll miss you forever Charlie! Love you always, Peter”
That night, however, the Drifters' manager, George Treadwell, became upset when his band members got drunk and inserted Thomas and his fellow bandmates, including Ben Nelson — who would go on to be known as Ben E. King — into the Drifters' lineup,according to music historian Marv Goldberg.
The “new” Drifters took on their predecessor’s concert dates too, but it wasn’t a seamless transition. “We got booed off the stage for a year almost before getting into the studio to record,” King told Goldberg.
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The Drifters ultimately found success with hits like “This Magic Moment,” “Up on the Roof” and “On Broadway”, with “Save the Last Dance for Me” topping the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1960.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Thomas toured for decades with the group, even as members left and founded other Drifters-named iterations. When King went on to launch a solo career, two of the original Drifters came back into the fray — Rudy Lewis and Johnny Moore — in 1964.
While Thomas was not the lead singer on most of the group’s hits, he did sing lead vocals on “Sweets for My Sweet” and “When My Little Girl is Smiling.”
The singer toured until the pandemic hit, which charted a different course for the star.
“He was aging, but he was active almost every weekend,” Lemongello toldThe New York Times. “Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill.”
source: people.com
