David Clayton-Thomas, the Canadian music legend and lead singer of American rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, has died at the age of 84.
According to his publicist Eric Alper, Clayton-Thomas passed away last night at St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto, the cause of death has not been confirmed.
Born David Henry Thomsett on September 13, 1941 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England, he was the son of a Canadian soldier stationed in the UK during World War II and an English mother who was a music student. After the war, the family relocated to Canada, settling in the Willowdale suburb in Toronto. His love of music came from his mother, however he had a volatile relationship with his father which caused him to live on the streets in Toronto at the age of fourteen. After spending years in and out of prison, it was there that Clayton-Thomas found an abandoned guitar and began teaching himself to play, later holding concerts while in jail.
In 1962, Clayton-Thomas stumbled upon Yonge Street’s bustling R&B music scene, finding mentorship with rock legend Ronnie Hawkins who took him under his wing. During his time on the Toronto music scene, he led two bands, David Clayton-Thomas and the Fabulous Shays and The Bossmen, one of the first bands to infuse jazz and rock together. In 1966, with The Bossmen, Clayton-Thomas released the single, “Brainwashed,” the anti-war anthem that was banned in the US but shot up to the top 20 of the Canadian music charts.
After a few years performing on the Yonge Street and Yorkville music circuity, Clayton-Thomas made his way to New York City, performing the club circuit with blues singer John Lee Hooker. It was during one of these club nights in 1966 that folk singer Judy Collins heard Clayton-Thomas perform and told her friend, drummer Bobby Colomby about Clayton-Thomas’ incredible vocal talent. Colomby’s band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, had broken up shortly after the release of their debut album so he invited Clayton-Thomas to join him in rebuilding it.
The band’s 1968 self-titled album, Clayton-Thomas’ first with the group, sold ten million copies worldwide, topped the Billboard chart for seven weeks, and remained on the chart for an astonishing 109 weeks. It won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and including the timeless classics, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “And When I Die,” and Clayton-Thomas’s own composition, “Spinning Wheel.” He left the band in 1972 and went on to have a successful solo career in his own right, releasing over twenty solo albums including his final project, Say Somethin’, released in 2019.
After three decades touring the world and living in the United States, Clayton-Thomas moved back to Toronto for good in 2004 where he became a champion of the city’s live music scene, the same scene that had made a lasting impact on his own career 42 years earlier.
As an artist shaped by jazz, Clayton-Thomas was a cherished and longtime friend of JAZZ.FM91. He was a huge supporter of our various events over the years including JAZZ LIVES, One Stop Vocal Jazz Safari and many Live to Air concerts. “David was always to kind and was quick to stop, say hello, and give a hug. That’s what I’ll always remember in my interactions with him,” says Heather Bambrick, host of Wake Up! and Jazzology. “He was the voice of not just “a” generation, but many generations… I can also recall DCT holding court with musicians of all ages and levels of experience back stage at various JAZZ LIVES concerts that the station produced, seeing him sporting his JAZZ.FM91 swag: baseball camp or a denim shirt with the station logo. He was happy to support and spread the word about a station that was so important to him and his fellow musicians.”
“DCT was opinionated and proud of it. [His] band, the Shays, was the quintessential Toronto Sound Group,” says BLUZ.FM host Danny Marks. “The Shays’ early singles will still raise the hair on the back of your neck today. That’s how I will forever remember the man. Tough as nails, sweet as pie.”
David Clayton-Thomas leaves behind two daughters, Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham. A memorial concert celebrating his life and music will be held at a later date, with proceeds benefiting Peacebuilders Canada, a non-profit supporting youth navigating the justice system with a commitment to build safer communities through restorative justice.