American singer Charles Thomas (April 7, 1937 – January 31, 2023) is best known for his work with The Drifters. When George Treadwell fired his band, The Drifters, in 1958, Thomas was playing with The Five Crowns at the Apollo Theater. To replace the Drifters, Treadwell enlisted the Five Crowns.
There Goes My Baby, a 1959 hit for The New Drifters, was their debut single. Two of the band’s top 40 singles, “Sweets for My Sweet” and “When My Little Girl Is Smiling,” included Charlie as the main singer. As a member of the Drifters, Thomas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1999, the Rhythm and Blues Foundation presented Thomas with the Pioneer Award.
Drifters’ Charlie Thomas Wife: Meet Rita Thomas
Rita Thomas was the wife of Charlie Thomas. They have been wed for a long time. When George Treadwell fired his band, The Drifters, in 1958, Charlie was onstage with The Five Crowns at the Apollo Theater. The Five Crowns were then enlisted by Treadwell to serve as the new “Drifters.”