Charlie Thomas, the unforgettable voice of The Drifters, ushered in a soulful new era for the group when he joined them in 1958 and immediately drove the smash, “There Goes My Baby,” up the charts. The Drifters went on to record a string of hits that defined the era, including “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Under The Boardwalk,” “Up On The Roof,” “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “On Broadway.”

“I’m still loving rock ’n’ roll,” Thomas recently told Goldmine magazine, “and I’m still doing what I used to do. I love my audience. The connection with my audience is memories and love. I appreciate it, and I love what God put me here to do. I’m a Drifter, and I’m proud to say that, because I’ve been a Drifter ever since I was 20 years old. I’m still going, and I’m not thinking of leaving here for a long while.”

In 1988, Charlie Thomas, along with the original members of The Drifters Doc Green, Ben E. King and Elsbery Hobbs, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He received the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999.