NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� David Clayton-Thomas, the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears whose husky, high-strung tenor on 鈥淪pinning Wheel,鈥� 鈥淲hen I Die鈥� and other hits helped make the so-called 鈥渂rass rock鈥� band among the most popular acts of the late 1960s, has died at age 84.
Spokesperson Eric Alper said that Clayton-Thomas died 鈥減eacefully鈥� Wednesday at St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital in Toronto. Alper did not cite a specific cause.
Clayton-Thomas was a onetime street fighter and petty thief from Canada who briefly became a rock superstar, the front man of a nine-member group that sold millions of records and won two Grammys for 鈥淏lood, Sweat & Tears,鈥� which beat out the Beatles鈥� 鈥淎bbey Road鈥� for best album of 1969. Calling out amid a jazzy parade of horns, keyboards and percussion, Clayton-Thomas鈥� urgent shout was a signature voice of the era, preaching love on the Motown cover 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Made Me So Very Happy,鈥� a lasting legacy on Laura Nyro鈥檚 鈥淲hen I Die鈥� and a cool head on his own 鈥淪pinning Wheel.鈥� Meanwhile, Blood, Sweat & Tears helped inspire a wave of horn-led bands, among them Chicago, the Electric Flag and Ten Wheel Drive.
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