David Clayton-Thomas
Encyclopedia
David Clayton-Thomas is a Canadian
musician
and singer best known as the lead vocalist for the American
band; Blood, Sweat & Tears
. Clayton-Thomas has also maintained a busy solo career over the years as well.
, Surrey
, UK
, the son of a decorated Canadian
soldier of World War II
who met his piano
-playing mother
when she came to entertain the troops at a London
hospital
. They were married, and when the war ended, the family moved to Willowdale
, a suburb
of Toronto
, when Clayton-Thomas was not yet school-aged.
Growing up, he was taught music
by his mother but had difficulties with his father in what was described as a dysfunctional family
. He left home in his early teens, and according to his official biography, spent time in jail as a juvenile delinquent until his release in 1962. He idolized the music of John Lee Hooker
and began playing guitar
and singing, and by the time he was 21 had his own band
, The Shays. David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays recorded for Roman Records of Toronto. Clayton-Thomas released two album
s on the record label
, "A Go Go" (with The Shays) and "Like It Is" (with The Bossmen).
In February 1966, he joined a new band, The Bossmen, fronted by the child prodigy
, pianist Tony Collacott, who had played with Sarah Vaughan
at New York
's Carnegie Hall
at the age of 14. The group recorded a lone single
, the jazz
-rock
song "Brainwashed," which was a Canadian hit record
in June 1966 and gave an indication of his future work.
The band broke up soon afterward and he traveled to New York
. In October 1967, he joined forces with former members of the Toronto R&B
outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates
and renamed them his new backing band, The Phoenix. The group started a residency at a New York nightclub
, Steve Paul
's The Scene, but he was soon deported for working illegally in the States
.
In February 1968, Clayton-Thomas formed a new band in Toronto, the David Clayton-Thomas Combine with former Bossmen guitarist
Jack Mowbrey, ex-Phoenix bass
player Peter Hodgson, and drummer
Pat Little from Luke & The Apostles
. The group recorded the original version of his hit "Spinning Wheel" but the band broke up a few months later when Clayton-Thomas was offered a more attractive offer from Bobby Colomby
, the drummer with Blood, Sweat & Tears
.
Under the stage name
David Clayton-Thomas, he is best known as a vocalist with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears
, whose first album
with him as lead singer in 1969 produced three gold single
s and three Grammy Award
s including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year
. The album included his own composition "Spinning Wheel" which became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic
.
In 2002, the album was honoured with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award
. Clayton-Thomas left the band twice, but he was still touring with a reconstituted Blood, Sweat & Tears through 2004.
Clayton-Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
in 1996. In January 2006, the song "Spinning Wheel" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He also won the last Festival Internacional da Canção in 1972, in Rio de Janeiro
, with the song "Nobody Calls Me Prophet".
He lived in New York City
for more than 30 years, but returned to Toronto in 2004, where he once again has made a name of himself as a solo artist, releasing several DVDs (including one featuring a live performance).
His band Blood, Sweat and Tears was the first western band to tour behind the Iron Curtain. The band agreed to do this in exchange for Clayton-Thomas getting permanent residency status in the US as he was in the US as an illegal immigrant yet the band had 3 top selling albums. (Revealed by Clayton Thomas in an interview on CBC Radio One
's Go
13 March 2010)
On 8 June 2010, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and singer best known as the lead vocalist for the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band; Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
. Clayton-Thomas has also maintained a busy solo career over the years as well.
Life and career
Clayton-Thomas was born in Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the son of a decorated Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who met his piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-playing mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
when she came to entertain the troops at a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. They were married, and when the war ended, the family moved to Willowdale
Willowdale, Toronto
Willowdale is an established, affluent community in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. It was originally called Lansing, which is now the name of a nearby neighbourhood....
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, when Clayton-Thomas was not yet school-aged.
Growing up, he was taught music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
by his mother but had difficulties with his father in what was described as a dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
. He left home in his early teens, and according to his official biography, spent time in jail as a juvenile delinquent until his release in 1962. He idolized the music of John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and began playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and singing, and by the time he was 21 had his own band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, The Shays. David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays recorded for Roman Records of Toronto. Clayton-Thomas released two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, "A Go Go" (with The Shays) and "Like It Is" (with The Bossmen).
In February 1966, he joined a new band, The Bossmen, fronted by the child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
, pianist Tony Collacott, who had played with Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
at the age of 14. The group recorded a lone single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
song "Brainwashed," which was a Canadian hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in June 1966 and gave an indication of his future work.
The band broke up soon afterward and he traveled to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In October 1967, he joined forces with former members of the Toronto R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates
Jon and Lee & The Checkmates
Jon and Lee & The Checkmates are an Canadian music group, best known for containing future members of Elektra band Rhinoceros. Together with Mandala, they spearheaded Toronto's R&B scene during the mid 1960s. As the Jon-Lee Group, the band released a lone single for ABC Records before splitting up...
and renamed them his new backing band, The Phoenix. The group started a residency at a New York nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Steve Paul
Steve Paul
Steve Paul is particularly notable as the one-time manager of Johnny Winter, among other related performers, as well as being the owner of Steve Paul's Scene and the founder of Blue Sky Records.-History:...
's The Scene, but he was soon deported for working illegally in the States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In February 1968, Clayton-Thomas formed a new band in Toronto, the David Clayton-Thomas Combine with former Bossmen guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jack Mowbrey, ex-Phoenix bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Peter Hodgson, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Pat Little from Luke & The Apostles
Luke & The Apostles
Luke & The Apostles was a 1960s blues group from Toronto known for their 1967 hit "Been Burnt". Band members included Canadian guitarist Mike McKenna, Luke Gibson, Peter Jermyn, Jim Jones, and Pat Little...
. The group recorded the original version of his hit "Spinning Wheel" but the band broke up a few months later when Clayton-Thomas was offered a more attractive offer from Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby is an innovative jazz-rock fusion drummer, and an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears...
, the drummer with Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
.
Under the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
David Clayton-Thomas, he is best known as a vocalist with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
, whose first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
with him as lead singer in 1969 produced three gold single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s and three Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
. The album included his own composition "Spinning Wheel" which became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
In 2002, the album was honoured with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
. Clayton-Thomas left the band twice, but he was still touring with a reconstituted Blood, Sweat & Tears through 2004.
Clayton-Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Award ceremonies. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents...
in 1996. In January 2006, the song "Spinning Wheel" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He also won the last Festival Internacional da Canção in 1972, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, with the song "Nobody Calls Me Prophet".
He lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for more than 30 years, but returned to Toronto in 2004, where he once again has made a name of himself as a solo artist, releasing several DVDs (including one featuring a live performance).
His band Blood, Sweat and Tears was the first western band to tour behind the Iron Curtain. The band agreed to do this in exchange for Clayton-Thomas getting permanent residency status in the US as he was in the US as an illegal immigrant yet the band had 3 top selling albums. (Revealed by Clayton Thomas in an interview on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's Go
Go (radio)
Go! was a Saturday morning entertainment show on the Radio One network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that ran from 2002 to 2010, hosted by Brent Bambury. The show included interviews, music, live performances, and comedy bits....
13 March 2010)
On 8 June 2010, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
.