Post by Kaz ~;~ on Mar 18, 2011 11:24:48 GMT -5
B. J. Thomas
Birth name Billy Joe Thomas
Born August 7, 1942 (age 68)
Origin Hugo, Oklahoma, United States
Genres Country, Pop, Contemporary Christian
Years active 1966–present
American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s.
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Career::
Thomas was raised in and around Houston, Texas, graduating from Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg. Before his solo career, Thomas sang in a church choir as a teenager then joined the musical group The Triumphs. During his senior year he made friends with Roy Head of Roy Head and The Traits. The Traits and the Triumphs held several Battle of the Bands events in the early 1960s featuring Head and Thomas.
In 1966, B. J. Thomas and The Triumphs released the album, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Pacemaker Records). The album featured a hit cover of the Hank Williams song, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In the same year, Thomas released a solo album of the same name (Scepter Records).
Thomas achieved mainstream success again in 1968, with the single "Hooked on a Feeling", which featured the sound of an electric sitar, first released on the album On My Way (Scepter Records). "Hooked on a Feeling" became Thomas's second million-selling record. The 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid featured Thomas performing the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", which became the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970. Sales of this disc also exceeded one million copies, with Thomas being awarded his third gold record. The song was also released on an album of the same name. Other hits of the seventies were "I Just Can't Help Believing" (Billboard #9 in 1970, covered by Elvis Presley), "Rock and Roll Lullaby," "No Love," "Everybody's Out of Town" and "Mighty Clouds of Joy."
Thomas' earlier hits were with Scepter Records, with which he was associated for six years. He left Scepter Records in 1972, and spent a short period, in 1973 and 1974, with Paramount Records. During his time with Paramount Records, Thomas released two albums, Songs (1973) and Longhorns & London Bridges (1974).
In 1975, Thomas released the album Reunion (ABC Records, which had absorbed the Paramount label), which contained what would become his second number one hit single, "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song". It was his first big hit since 1968, and secured Thomas his fourth gold record. On ABC, he also charted with "Songs" and "Don’t Worry Baby".
In 1976, Thomas released Home Where I Belong on Myrrh Records, the first of several gospel albums to be recorded by Thomas. The album went plantinum, and Thomas became the biggest contemporary Christian artist of the period.
During the 1980s, his success on the pop charts began to wane, but many of his singles reached the upper regions on the country singles charts, including two 1983 chart toppers, "Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love" and "New Looks from an Old Lover" (see 1984 in music), as well as "Two Car Garage", which reached #3 on the country singles chart. In 1981, on his 39th birthday, Thomas became the 60th member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Thomas scored another hit, recording "As Long As We Got Each Other," the theme to Growing Pains with Jennifer Warnes. A later version, used for the show's fourth season, was recorded with the British singer Dusty Springfield. Thomas first released this track on his 1985 album Throwing Rocks at the Moon (Columbia Records).
Thomas has also authored two books including Home Where I Belong and starred in the movie Jory. Several commercial jingles, to include Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Bell phone systems, featured his voice and music.
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Albums::
1966
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Tomorrow Never Comes
1968
On My Way
1969
Young and in Love
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
1970
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Everybody's Out of Town
Most of All
1971
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
1972
B. J. Thomas Country
Billy Joe Thomas
Rock'n'Roll Lullaby
1973
Songs
1974
Longhorns & Londonbridges
1975
Reunion
Help Me Make It (To My Rockin' Chair)
1977
B. J. Thomas
Home Where I Belong
1979
Happy Man
You Gave Me Love (When Nobody Gave Me a Prayer)
1980
The Best Of B.J. Thomas In Concert
1981 Amazing Grace
Some Love Songs Never Die
1982
Peace in the Valley
1983
Love Shines
New Looks
The Great American Dream
1984
Shining
1985
Throwin' Rocks at the Moon
You Gave Me Love
1986
Night Life
All Is Calm, All Is Bright
1987
Hey Won't You Play Another
Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
1989
Midnight Minute
1991
As We Knew Him
Jesus Hearted People
1992
Rock Against the Wall
Rock & Roll Lullaby
1994
Still Standing Here
1995
Precious Memories
Scenes of Christmas
1996
B. J. Thomas Sings Hank Williams and Other Favorites
1997
I Believe
Christmas Is Coming Home
1998
Sounds of Christmas
2000
You Call That a Mountain
2005
That Christmas Feeling
2006
We Praise: Glorify Thy Name
2007 Home for Christmas
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Singles::
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1966
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"
"Mama"
"Billy and Sue"
"Bring Back the Time"
"Tomorrow Never Comes"
"Plain Jane"
1967
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)"
1968
"The Eyes of a New York Woman"
"Hooked on a Feeling"
1969
"It's Only Love"
"Pass the Apple Eve"
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
1970
"Everybody's Out of Town"
"I Just Can't Help Believing"
"Most of All"
1971
"No Love at All"
"Mighty Clouds of Joy"
"Long Ago Tomorrow"
1972
"Rock and Roll Lullaby"
"That's What Friends Are For"
"Happier Than the Morning Sun"
1973
"Songs"
1975
"(Hey Won't You Play) Another
Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"
1977
"Home Where I Belong"
1978
"Everybody Loves a Rain Song"
1979
"We Could Have Been the Closest of Friends"
1980
"Walkin' On a Cloud"
1981
"Some Love Songs Never Die"
1982
"But Love Me"
1983
"Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love"
1984
"The Whole World's in Love When You're Lonely"
1985
"The Part of Me That Needs You Most"
1986
"America Is"
1988
"As Long As We Got Each Other" (with Dusty Springfield)
1989
"Don't Leave Me Love (Out There All Alone)"
2000
"You Call That a Mountain"