THE Drifters singer Charlie Thomas has died at the age of 85 after battling liver cancer.
Thomas was part of The Drifters for over 60 years and the lead singer on tunes such as the hit Sweets for My Sweet.
Friend Peter Lemongello Jr confirmed the star died at his home in Bowie, Maryland, on January 31.
"He was ageing, but he was active almost every weekend,” he told the New York Times.
“Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill."
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Charlie also led the vocals on When My Little Girl Is Smiling in 1962, with the hit reaching number 28 in the charts.
He brought his distinctive tenor voice to songs such as There Goes My Baby, Under The Boardwalk and Up on the Roof.
The Drifters first formed in 1953 but Charlie would not become a member until some years later.
In 1959, he was singing with a band called The Five Crowns at a theatre in Harlem and The Drifters were also on the bill.
When one of The Drifters got drunk and swore at their manager, George Treadwell, he decided to fire the entire line up.
He replaced the new line up with the members of The Five Crowns, who also included Ben E. King of Stand By Me fame.
Charlie - who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the group in 1988 - is survived by his wife, Rita Thomas.
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