Rudy Lewis
Rudy Lewis (born August 23, 1936 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , † May 20, 1964 in New York City , New York ) was a rhythm and blues singer who was best known as a member of the Drifters .
Life
Lewis began his music career as a member of Clara Ward's gospel band . In 1960 he sang for the Drifters, whose former lead singer Ben E. King had left the band shortly before. He was hired promptly.
Over the next few years he sang the lead vocal on hits like Some Kind Of Wonderful , Please Stay , On Broadway and Up On The Roof , until his career suddenly ended: on May 20, 1964, he was found dead in his bed. The cause of death is unclear. Some suspect a drug death , others that he suffocated in his sleep. Johnny Moore took his place with the Drifters . He was 27 years old and is counted in Club 27 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ timelines.com: Rudy Lewis Dies ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lewis, Rudy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American R&B singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 23, 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 20, 1964 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York , United States |