Last Updated on: 11th July 2023, 03:48 am
BJ Thomas, the 5x Grammy winner who hit the pop, country, and gospel charts with hits like “I Just Can’t Help Believe”, “Raindrops Always Fall On My Head” and “Hooked We Have Feeling” has died. He was 78 years old.
Thomas, who announced in March that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, died of complications from the disease on Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas. This emerges from a statement made by its representatives.
It is with profound sadness we confirm the passing of BJ Thomas. pic.twitter.com/l2zrmtfmKw
— BJ Thomas (@TheBJThomas) May 29, 2021
Thomas’s great career spanned multiple genres including country, pop, and gospel, which has earned him CMA, Dove, and Grammy awards and nominations since its inception in the 1960s.
His career has been anchored by many enduring achievements, including his million-selling cover of Grammy Award winner Hank Williams. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”?
The iconic “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My.” Head, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Five-time Grammy Award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame nominee Thomas has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, including eight # 1 hits, scoring 26 top 10 singles during his over 50 years in the music industry.
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His long history on the charts has made him one of Billboard’s 50 Most Performed Artists in the past 50 years. Memorable hits like Can’t Help But Believe, Don’t Worry “Baby,” “Anything That Happened to Old-Fashioned Love,” “An Old Lover’s New Look”, and “Hooked On A Feeling” made it a staple for many radio formats over the years.
He was born Billy Joe Thomas in rural Hugo, Oklahoma, before moving to Houston, Texas with his family. He began singing in church as a child and joined the Houston-based band The Triumphs as a teenager.
Thomas’s first taste of success came in 1966 when he recorded “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” with producer Huey P. Meaux. Released by Scepter Records, it peaked at number 8 on the pop charts and became its first multi-million dollar single.
He released the next single “Mama” and delivered his first solo album that same year.
Thomas’ second million-dollar hit came in 1968 with the release of On My Way’s “Hooked on a Feeling,” his second album for Scepter. While at the New York label, he befriended Ronnie Milsap and Dionne Warwick, who were also on the list at the time.
It was Warwick who introduced him to songwriter-producer Burt Bacharach. In January 1970 Thomas topped the charts with “Raindrops Keep Fallin ‘on My Head”. Written by Bacharach and Hal David, the song was featured in Paul Newman / Robert Redford’s classic film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Sales quickly surpassed two million copies and it remained one of the most consistent pop hits of all time.
He has appeared in films such as Forrest Gump, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Clerks II, and Spider-Man 2, as well as on several television shows Years.
He followed this single, which marked his career with a number of pop/rock hits including “Everybody’s Out of Town”, “I Just Can’t Help Believe”, “No Love at All” and “Rock and Roll Lullaby”.
After six years with Scepter Records, Thomas signed to Paramount Records, where he released two albums: Songs from 1973 and Longhorns & London bridges from 1974.
In 1975 Thomas released the album Reunion on ABC Records with “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” which is considered the longest hit of all time on the Billboards Hot 100.
Like many successful pop/rock artists, Thomas fell into drugs and struggled with drug addiction. His wife, Gloria, became a born-again Christian and the turning point in Thomas’ life came when he became a believer in 1976. He immediately stopped using drugs and found a way to express his trust in gospel music.
Thomas signed with Myrrh Records and released the album Home Where I Belong in 1976. The project, produced by Chris Christian, won a Grammy at Thomas and became the first of two Dove Awards. The album was the first gospel album to sell a million copies.
The warmth and emotional timbre of Thomas’s voice matched the genre well and he became one of the most successful artists in gospel music. Her rendition of “Amazing Grace” is considered to be one of the most poignant of many classic anthem covers.
In addition to his success in the country and in the gospel, Thomas also made good progress on the country charts in the 1980s with hits like “What Happened To Old Fashioned Love”, “New Looks From An Old Lover”, “The Whole World Is In Love.” “When You’re Lonely” and “Two Car Garage” (Hey, don’t you wanna play).
Someone else made the wrong song was number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. It won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1976 and was nominated for CMA single of the year. On his 39th birthday in 1981, Thomas became the 60th member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Not only did Thomas fill multiple radio formats with so many popular hits, but he also performed the theme song “As Long as We Got Us” for the popular television series “Growing Pains” and voiced his voice for many advertisements, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
He can also be seen on television hosting Time-Life Music’s Forever 70s commercial. He has also appeared as an actor in the films Jory and Jake’s Corner. Thomas is the author of two books, including his autobiography Home Where I Belong.
In 2013 he released The Living Room Sessions, an acoustic album that celebrated Thomas’s nearly six decades in the music industry. The project featured Thomas in a duet with other top performers on his most popular hits, including collaborating with Richard Marx on “(Hey, don’t you want to play)”, Vince Gill on “I Just Can’t” Help Believing, Sara Niemietz on “Hooked on a Feeling”, Keb ‘Mo’ on “Most of All”, Lyle Lovett on “Raindrops Keep Fallin ‘On My Head” and Isaac Slade from The Frays on “I’m So Lonesome I” Could Cry.
The album was well-received by critics who hailed it as a reminder of how dedicated his voice has remained after decades of recording and touring.
Though Thomas will be remembered as one of the best singers of this generation and an accomplished artist, the humble artist was the proudest of his family.
He is survived by his 53-year-old wife Gloria, their three daughters Paige Thomas, Nora Cloud, and Erin Moore, and their four grandchildren Nadia Cloud, Keira Cloud, Ruby Moore, and Billy Joe Moore.
A quote from his website shows Thomas’s humble attitude and appreciation for life. “I’m just a different guy. I was very lucky,” he said. “I’ve had a wonderful life, I’ve been a husband and a father who treasured his children and now I’m a grandfather and, like all these teachers and ministers and mothers and fathers, I am motivated to help my children with character and self-growing up -respect. I hope it doesn’t sound too great, but that’s what matters. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my music and with most of my life.”
The funeral arrangements are still pending and will be kept private.
In lieu of flowers, commemorative donations are being accepted from Mission Arlington, the Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the Texas SPCA.
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