David Clayton-Thomas

Born David Henry Thomsett in Surrey, England, David Clayton-Thomas grew up in Toronto where his hair trigger temper got him in trouble with the law. While doing jailhouse gigs, where David taught himself to play the guitar, legendary Ronnie Hawkins took him under his wing. Soon enough, David was fronting his own bands, first with David Clayton-Thomas and The Fabulous Shays, which appeared on NBC-TV’s Hullabaloo and then The Bossmen, where he wrote the chart-topping anti-war song, Brainwashed. Returning to New York a few years later, he met folk singer Judy Collins who introduced him to Blood Sweat & Tears (BST), a band he fronted until 2004, resulting in numerous chart toppers and Grammy awards. BST’s Greatest Hits album has sold over seven million copies to date. Today, David resides in Toronto and recently formed a 10-piece band under his own name.