Talented vocalist Clarence "Tex" Walker, who died on 8 August, 2007, aged 61, was a member of two legendary rhythm and blues bands - the Original Drifters and The Coasters.

When he joined the Original Drifters, a band that has had many line-ups and still thrives today, it was led by Bill Pinkney, who was a founder member from the 1950s.

Mr Walker fronted the group at a time when they were appearing in the same venues as many top musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

He also toured Europe with Big Joe Turner and appeared at the prestigious Bishopstock Blues Festival before forming The Walker Street Blues Band in London, which received critical acclaim in Britain.

Clarence Walker was born on 24 January, 1946, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to a musically-gifted family. As a child he was a lead singer in the local gospel choir, and in his teens he joined his elder brother's group and appeared with Wilson Pickett.

He served in Vietnam during the mid 1960s and upon his return was offered the place of lead singer in the Original Drifters, in which he made several appearances on Jerry Lewis' Telethon.

After some major tours and three guest appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, Mr Walker was invited to front The Coasters, who were The Drifters' main rivals in the 1950s and also had a complicated history of changing line ups.

He accepted, and enjoyed further success during the 1980s with hits such as Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown.

In 1990 he joined Big Joe Turner's band, with whom he made two albums and supported B.B King at the Royal Albert Hall. He enjoyed his visit to Britain so much that he decided to stay there and settled in Jericho, Oxfordshire.

It was then that he became popular with British audiences in his own group, the Walker Street Blues Band and released the album Blues in Black.

The album was deemed in Blueprint the prominent British blues journal and the band headlined many well-known venues such as the Jazz Café.

In 2004 Mr Walker returned to his hometown, where he planned a European tour, but it was then that he began to suffer from heart problems.

He was unable to return to Britain until June 2007 and according to close friend Silver Phil he said: "I'm finally home," as he arrived in Oxford for the last time.

Just weeks after resuming his place on the live blues circuit there, he suffered a heart attack and died four days later.

Ann Edwards, also a close friend, said: "Clarence really liked the community in Jericho and said he felt most at home while he lived there."

On the Friday before he died, he gave his last performance at a blues night in Woodstock.