Charlie Thomas (1937–2023), tenor singer with the Drifters
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2 min readCharlie Thomas was a tenor singer with the Drifters, known for doo-wop hits including “Under the Boardwalk” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
- Died: January 31, 2023 (Who else died on January 31?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Bowie, Maryland of liver cancer at the age of 85.
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The Drifters
Thomas was singing with the Crowns in the late 1950s when he was unexpectedly recruited to become one of the Drifters. The entire original group, in existence since the early ‘50s, was fired by their manager and replaced by members of the Crowns, including Thomas and lead singer Ben E. King (1938–2015). It was this new lineup that recorded indelible hits including “Under the Boardwalk,” “Up on the Roof,” “Please Stay,” and their only No. 1 hit on the Top 40, “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Though King often sang lead, other members took their turn with lead vocals, including Thomas on the singles “Sweets for My Sweet” and “When My Little Girl Is Smiling.” The Drifters went through many lineup changes over the years, and after their breakup in the late 1960s, several splinter groups formed using the Drifters name. One of those was Charlie Thomas’s Drifters, which continued to perform live until 2020. Thomas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other Drifters members in 1988.
Thomas on his inspiration as a singer
“I just loved my mother’s voice; my mother loved to sing. She used to sing for me as a baby. My dad was a Holy Roller preacher down in Virginia. At my father’s church I used to take the tambourine and do collection and my mother used to sing in the choir.… That’s where I really got my training from singing. In Vicksburg, Virginia, on a Sunday, they have chimes… and my grandmother and I’d be singing to the chimes as they play. That’s beautiful. I just got it from my family, I guess.” —from a 2013 interview with Craig Morrison
Tributes to Charlie Thomas
Full obituary: The New York Times
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