Singer Charlie Thomas has died of liver cancer at the age of 85, his friend has said.
Peter Lemongello Jr confirmed the star died at his home in Bowie, Maryland, on January 31, saying: "He was ageing, but he was active almost every weekend. Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill."
He had been part of The Drifters for over 60 years and the lead singer on tunes such as Sweets for My Sweet in 1961. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100 chart.
He also led the vocals on When My Little Girl Is Smiling in 1962, with the hit reaching number 28.
Charlie was an integral part of the group and had been touring until the pandemic caused locations to shut. As a tenor, he helped the group impress with songs such as There Goes My Baby, Under The Boardwalk and Up on the Roof.
The only time they reached number one on the Billboard chats came when they recorded Save The Last Dance For Me.
Following the sad news, fans took to social media to pay their own tributes to the star.
On Twitter, one user wrote shared a clip of Charlie singing and wrote: "I had the great fortune of capturing the legendary Charlie Thomas of “The Drifters” as he sang his iconic chart topper ‘Under the Boardwalk’ on the historic Asbury Park Boardwalk. He was the very sound of the sea #RIP."
Another wrote: "Rest well, sweet Charlie Thomas (The Drifters), R&R Hall of Famer, cherished friend. Yeats [sic] ago, he said, 'Remember, Ivan, wherever you go in this world, you've got Charlie Thomas with you'.
"It stayed with me ever since. He was right. I will always have Charlie Thomas with me."
And a third said: "Saddened to report that another music legend has left us. Rest in peace, Charlie Thomas of the Drifters."
Charlie 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 his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
