Lead Singer Of Beatles’ Rival Dave Clark 5 Dies In England Days Before Rock Hall Induction

You probably don’t know his name. And chances are you wouldn’t recognize his picture. But if you’re a baby boomer or a fan of the British Invasion years of the mid-1960’s, one listen will tell you all you need to know about Mike Smith.

The gravelly-voiced lead singer of the Dave Clark 5 has died. Smith succumbed to pneumonia on Thursday, complications from a 2003 spinal cord accident that left him paralyzed.

His sad end does nothing to obscure the historic part the British icon played in rock and roll. The DC5, as they were sometimes known, were considered by many musicologists to be the only real U.K. challengers to the Beatles, even though they repeatedly emphasized their very different influences.

Smith belted out the lead on such classics as “Glad All Over”, “Bits and Pieces” and “Can’t You See That She’s Mine.” It was that first song that knocked the Fab Four’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand” out of the top spot on the charts when Beatlemania hit. And they were the one rock act that appeared more than any other on the Ed Sullivan Show in the U.S.

The group disbanded in 1970 and their namesake, Dave Clark, became something of a media mogul in his native country, while Smith all but disappeared. But the hits have never stopped being played and respected and the band sold more than 50 million albums by the end of 2007.

Ironically, Smith never lived to see an honour he would likely have cherished. The Dave Clark 5 were due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (top left) in two weeks. “He was extremely excited and honoured to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I am glad that he will be remembered as a Hall of Famer, because he was in so many ways,” notes his agent Margo Lewis.

Mike Smith was forever young at 64.

Hits of the Dave Clark Five

(Number indicates Billboard chart position)

Glad All Over (6)

Bits And Pieces (4)

Do You Love Me? (11)

Can’t You See That She’s Mine? (4)

Because (3)

Everybody Knows (I Still Love You) (15)

Any Way You Want It (14)

Come Home (14)

Reelin’ and Rockin’ (23)

I Like It Like That (7)

Catch Us If You Can (4)

Over and Over (1)

At The Scene (12)

Try Too Hard (12)

You Got What It Takes (7)

Source: Billboard Magazine