David Henry Thomsett, known as David Clayton‑Thomas, was born on 13 September 1941 in Kingston upon Thames, London, and later became a British‑Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist. After a turbulent youth he began performing in Toronto in the early 1960s, releasing the single "Boom Boom" in 1964 as David Clayton‑Thomas and the Shays. He followed with two Roman Records albums, David Clayton‑Thomas and the Shays à Go‑Go (1965) and Sings Like It Is! (1966), before moving to New York and joining Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1967. The group’s debut album Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968) sold ten million copies worldwide, won five Grammy Awards-including Album of the Year in 1969-and yielded singles that reached the top of the charts such as "Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". After a brief solo period in the early 1970s, he returned to the band until 1978, then released several solo projects. He received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2010, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and died on 24 June 2026 in Toronto at age 84.
