Drifters legend Charlie Thomas has passed away at the age of 85

The Drifters frontman Charlie Thomas has passed away at the age of 85.

The iconic artist passed away after battling liver cancer, his friend Peter Lemongello Jr. revealed. Tuesday.

A member of the doo-wop group for over 60 years, Charlie sang lead on songs like Sweets for My Sweet and There Goes My First Love.

Peter confirmed he died at his home in Bowie, Maryland, on January 31.

He told The New York Times, “He was getting older, but he was active almost every weekend.

“Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and things started to go downhill.”

Charlie was born on April 7, 1937, in Lynchburg, Virginia, to his father Willis, a minister, and mother Lucinda, a housewife.

Discussing his family in a 2013 interview with Craig Morrison, he said, “My dad was a holy scroll preacher in Virginia.

“In my father’s church I took the tambourine and made an offering, and my mother sang in the choir. That’s where I really got my education from singing.’

Charlie sang lead vocals on When My Little Girl Is Smiling in 1962, with the song reaching No. 28 on the US charts.

Known for his distinctive tenor voice, he also provided vocals for songs like There goes my baby, under the boardwalk and on the roof.

The Drifters were first formed in 1953, but Charlie didn’t join the group until 1959, having previously performed with a band. called The Five Crowns at a theater in Harlem.

Manager George Treadwell had previously decided to fire the entire line-up of the group after a member got drunk and cursed at him.

Legends: The iconic artist died after battling liver cancer (pictured far left with then-bandmates Dock Green, Rudy Lewis and Tommy Evan in 1961)

He replaced them with members of The Five Crowns, including Ben E. King, who would record and release the hit Stand By Me.

In 1964, Charlie took over lead vocals on The Drifters’ I Don’t Want to Go On Without You, following the death of original frontman Rudy Lewis in a hotel room.

He told Goldmine magazine about his passing in 2012: “When he died, I was the one who closed his eyes. I really like that song, because that song in particular brings back a lot of memories.’

Charlie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 with The Drifters.

Classic: A member of the doo-wop group for over 60 years, Charlie sang lead on songs like Sweets for My Sweet and There Goes My First Love (pictured in 1980)

Michael Hill wrote in his introductory essay, “Time has hardly made their work seem strange… on the contrary, their work has stood the test of time to become even more special, more knowing.”

Bill Pinkney, a member of the mid-1950s lineup fired by Treadwell, went on to form a group called the Original Drifters.

Charlie briefly joined the group before forming his own group, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters, which continued to perform until 2020.

He is survived by his wife, Rita Thomas, daughters, Crystal Thomas Wilson and Victoria Green, and his sons, Charlie Jr., Michael Sidbury and Brian Godfrey.

Famous: He continued to perform until 2020 and passed away on January 31 at his home in Bowie, Maryland.