David Clayton-Thomas obit

David Clayton-Thomas Dies: Hit-Making Blood, Sweat & Tears Singer Was 84

 

He was not on the list.

David Clayton-Thomas, the Canadian singer whose gruff, soulful vocals for Blood, Sweat & Tears was an integral part of the band’s late 1960s success with such songs as And When I Die, You’ve Made Me So Very Happy and Spinning Wheel, died yesterday, June 24, at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He was 84.

His death was announced by his publicist, Eric Alper, to the CBC. No cause was stated but Alper noted that Clayton-Thomas died peacefully.

One of the most recognizable and distinctive vocalists of the classic rock era, Clayton-Thomas left an indelible mark on the musical landscape of the 1960s and ’70s. Much like the group Chicago, Clayton-Thomas’ American, horn-infused band Blood, Sweat and Tears combined elements rock, jazz, R&B and Big Band, taking the combination of sounds to the upper reaches of the record charts.

Born David Henry Thomsett in Kingston, England, on September 13, 1941, he and his family – including his father Fred, a Canadian serviceman who Clayton-Thomas later revealed to have been violently abusive – soon moved to the Willowdale section of Toronto.

Clayton-Thomas was already making waves in the local Toronto music scene when, in 1968, he joined the New York-based Blood, Sweat & Tears – sometimes known as BS&T – and quickly caught the attention of Columbia Records label boss Clive Davis (who died earlier this week). In his 1975 memoir Clive: Inside the Record Business, Davis wrote about Clayton-Thomas, “He was staggering — a powerfully built singer who exuded enormous earthy confidence. He jumped right out at you.”

The group’s second album, self-titled and the first with Clayton-Thomas, proved a phenomenal success upon its release in ’68. It spawned three hit singles (Laura Nyro’s “And When I Die”, the Motown-esque “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” and Clayton-Thomas’ own “Spinning Wheel”) and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1970.

The album also included the band’s popular rendition of the Billie Holiday standard “God Bless The Child.”

Following a stellar performance at the Woodstock festival in August of ’69 – the performance was recorded but not included in the original documentary film due to a disagreement with the band’s manager – the group released Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 in June 1970. Topping the album charts, the record included two hit singles: Carole King’s “Hi-De-Ho” and Clayton-Thomas’ “Lucretia MacEvil.”

Also in ’70, BS&T produced soundtrack music for The Owl and the Pussycat, the comedy starring Barbra Streisand and George Segal. The following year, the album BS&T 4 was released, this one containing the Clayton-Thomas-penned “Go Down Gamblin.'” Though selling enough to earn a Gold record, BS&T 4 did not enjoy the success or sales of the previous releases, and Clayton-Thomas left the group in 1972 for a solo career.

Possibly contributing to Clayton-Thomas’ decision to leave the band – although this is disputed by some – was the group’s decision to participate in a 1970 goodwill tour sponsored by the US State Department, a move unpopular with the band’s anti-war fan base. A 2023 documentary What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? claimed that the band had been pressured by the State Department to participate in exchange for receiving a green card for Canadian Clayton-Thomas, who as a teenager had been arrested several times for petty crimes and spent time in reformatory.

After leaving BS&T, Clayton-Thomas issued his first, self-titled solo album in 1972, followed by a steady string of solo work throughout the decade. He occasionally reunited with BS&T for one-off projects, and, as a solo artist, continued recording and touring well into the 21st Century, sometimes with his own 10-piece band. He reportedly left New York, where he had long lived, to return to Toronto in 2004.

His most recent album release was 2019’s Say Somethin’, on the Antoinette label.

Although complete information on survivors was not immediately available, CBC notes they include daughters Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham.

Alpert told the Canadian news organization that a memorial concert celebrating Clayton-Thomas’ career will be announced, with proceeds going to Peacebuilders Canada, a non-profit organization that helps young Canadians navigate the justice systems and integrate into society.