Singer Charlie Thomas has died of liver cancer at the age of 85, his friend has said.
Peter Lemongello Jr confirmed the star died at his home in Bowie, Maryland, on January 31, saying: "He was ageing, but he was active almost every weekend. Unfortunately, he went from being active to being at home and he started going downhill."
He had been part of The Drifters for over 60 years and the lead singer on tunes such as Sweets for My Sweet in 1961. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100 chart.
