Clyde McPhatter
November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972
Clyde McPhatter was one of the most influential R&B singers of the ’50s and ’60s, both as leader of the Drifters and later as a solo artist. His hits included “Treasure Of Love,” “A Lover’s Question,” and “I Never Knew.” What separated him from the pack of R&B crooners was his ability to cross over to a white audience, likely due to the fact that white artists liked to cover his songs, which in turn gave them greater success. His ability to reach the pop audience became the blueprint for such followers as Sam Cooke, Ben E. King, and even Smokey Robinson. McPhatter continued to record into the late ’60s, but failed to get the momentum needed to make him the superstar he deserved to be. Years of alcoholism may have played a role in that. He moved to England for a couple of years to try to capitalize on the fan base he still had over there, but came back to the US where he died of a heart attack attributed to the years of alcohol abuse.
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