David Clayton-Thomas grew up in a suburb of Toronto; living in a difficult family environment, he left home as a teenager and began his musical career at age 23 in the Shays. They became the Bossmen in 1965 and released "Brainwashed" in 1966. After Al Kooper left Blood, Sweat & Tears following the release of Child Is Father to the Man in early 1968, Clayton-Thomas was added to the BS&T lineup as the new frontman/singer, and the group scored a major hit with the Blood, Sweat & Tears album released in January of the following year. The band's hit-filled eponymous sophomore album won the 1969 Grammy for Album of the Year. While singing in BS&T during the late '60s and early '70s, Clayton-Thomas began a solo career, releasing self-titled albums for Decca (1969), Columbia (1972), and RCA (1973). A re-formed version of Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Clayton-Thomas appeared in 1980, signed to MCA, and released Nuclear Blues. ~ John Bush