Mike Smith of Dave Clark Five, Dead at 64

Just when the Dave Clark Five were about to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I learned of Mike Smith's [lead singer] death at 64. My idol, Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, has been raising money for years to get Mike the things he has needed, including a motorized wheelchair, for years. You see, Mike was paralyzed from the ribs down, in a 2003 accident. He fell off a ladder while fixing up his house in Spain, and sustained a spinal cord injury. His death was a result of pneumonia, a common complication in spinal cord injuries.

The Dave Clark Five were part of the British Invasion, started by the Beatles in 1964, and which also included my lads, Herman's Hermits. This band was so much a part of my life. The Dave Clark Five were on the Ed Sullivan Show 12 times, and I probably watched it every time [eating Chinese food of course]