{"id":17036,"date":"2021-05-29T19:09:39","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T00:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=17036"},"modified":"2023-09-03T20:05:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T20:05:01","slug":"b-j-thomas-dead-at-78","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=17036","title":{"rendered":"B.J. THOMAS DEAD AT 78"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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ARLINGTON, Texas \u2013 Five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, B.J. Thomas, died today at home in Arlington, Texas at the age of 78 from complications due to stage four lung cancer.<\/p>\n

Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America\u2019s musical landscape than B.J. Thomas. With his smooth, rich voice and unerring song sense, Thomas\u2019s expansive career crossed multiple genres, including country, pop, and gospel, earning him CMA, Dove, and Grammy awards and nominations since his emergence in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019 career was anchored by numerous enduring hits, among them his million-selling cover of Hank Williams\u2019 \u201cI\u2019m So Lonesome I Could Cry,\u201d the Grammy-winning \u201c(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song\u201d and the iconic \u201cRaindrops Keep Fallin\u2019 on My Head,\u201d which won the Academy Award for best original song. A five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, Thomas has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, scoring eight No. 1 hits and 26 Top 10 singles over his 50+ years in the music industry. His lengthy chart history led to him being named one of Billboard\u2019s Top 50 Most Played Artists Over The Past 50 Years. Such memorable hits as \u201cI Just Can\u2019t Help Believing, \u201cDon\u2019t Worry Baby,\u201d \u201cWhatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love,\u201d \u201cNew Looks From An Old Lover\u201d and \u201cHooked on a Feeling\u201d have made him a staple on multiple radio formats over the years.<\/p>\n

Born in rural Hugo, OK, Billy Joe Thomas moved to Houston, Texas with his family and where he grew up absorbing a variety of musical influences from the traditional country of Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams Dr. to the soulful sounds of Jackie Wilson and Little Richard, whose \u201cMiss Ann\u201d was the first single B.J. ever bought. He began singing in church as a child and in his teens joined the Houston-based band the Triumphs.<\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019s first taste of success came in 1966 when he recorded \u201cI\u2019m So Lonesome I Could Cry\u201d with producer Huey P. Meaux. Released by Scepter Records, it peaked at No. 8 on the pop charts and became his first million-selling single. He released the follow-up single, \u201cMama,\u201d and delivered his first solo album that same year.<\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019 second million-selling hit came in 1968 with the release of \u201cHooked on a Feeling,\u201d from On My Way<\/em>, his sophomore album for Scepter. During his days with the New York label, he became friendly with Ronnie Milsap and Dionne Warwick, who were also on the roster at the time. It was Warwick who introduced him to songwriter-producer Burt Bacharach. In January 1970, Thomas topped the charts with \u201cRaindrops Keep Fallin\u2019 on My Head.\u201d Penned by Bacharach and Hal David, the song was featured in the classic Paul Newman\/Robert Redford film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid<\/em>, earning the Oscar for best original song. Sales quickly exceeded two million copies and it has remained one of the most enduring pop hits of all time, reoccurring in such films as Forrest Gump<\/em>, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle<\/em>, Clerks II<\/em>, and Spider-Man 2<\/em> as well as multiple TV shows over the years. He followed that career-defining single with a string of pop\/rock hits, including \u201cEverybody’s Out of Town,\u201d \u201cI Just Can’t Help Believing,\u201d \u201cNo Love at All\u201d and \u201cRock and Roll Lullaby.\u201d<\/p>\n

After six years with Scepter Records, Thomas signed with Paramount Records where he released two albums\u20141973\u2019s Songs<\/em> and 1974\u2019s Longhorns & Londonbridges<\/em>. In 1975, Thomas released the album Reunion<\/em> on ABC Records, featuring \u201c(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,\u201d which holds the distinction of being the longest titled No. 1 hit ever on Billboard\u2019s Hot 100.<\/p>\n

Like many successful pop\/rock artists, Thomas fell into drugs and battled substance abuse. His wife Gloria became a born-again Christian and the turning point in Thomas\u2019 life came when he became a believer in 1976. He immediately quit drugs and found an avenue for expressing his faith in gospel music. Thomas signed with Myrrh Records and released the album Home Where I Belong<\/em> in 1976. Produced by Chris Christian, the project won Thomas a Grammy and became the first of two Dove Award wins. The album became the first gospel record to sell a million copies. The warmth and emotional timbre of Thomas\u2019s voice was well suited to the genre and he became one of gospel music\u2019s most successful artists. His rendition of \u201cAmazing Grace\u201d is considered one of the most poignant of the classic hymn\u2019s many covers.<\/p>\n

In addition to his country and gospel success, Thomas also enjoyed a healthy run on the country charts in the 1980s with such hits as \u201cWhatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love,\u201d \u201cNew Looks from an Old Lover Again,\u201d \u201cThe Whole World\u2019s in Love When You\u2019re Lonely\u201d and \u201cTwo Car Garage.\u201d \u201c(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song\u201d was No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Country Songs charts. It won the 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.<\/p>\n

Beyond populating multiple radio formats with so many beloved hits, Thomas also voiced the theme song, \u201cAs Long As We\u2019ve Got Each Other,\u201d for the popular TV series Growing Pains<\/em>, and has lent his voice to numerous commercials, including campaigns for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. He can also be seen on television hosting Time Life Music\u2019s Forever 70s<\/em> infomercial. As an actor, he also appeared in the films Jory<\/em> and Jake’s Corner<\/em>. Thomas authored two books, including his autobiography Home Where I Belong<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In 2013, he released The Living Room Sessions<\/em>, an acoustic album, which celebrated Thomas\u2019s nearly six decades in the music industry. The project featured Thomas dueting with other high profile artists on his most beloved hits, which included teaming with Richard Marx for \u201c(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,\u201d Vince Gill on \u201cI Just Can\u2019t Help Believing,\u201d Sara Niemietz on \u201cHooked on a Feeling,\u201d Keb’ Mo’ on \u201cMost of All,\u201d Lyle Lovett on \u201cRaindrops Keep Fallin\u2019 On My Head\u201d and The Fray\u2019s Isaac Slade on \u201cI\u2019m So Lonesome I Could Cry.\u201d The album was well-received with critics praising it as a reminder of just how engaging his voice remained after decades of recording and touring.<\/p>\n

Though Thomas will be remembered as one of this generation\u2019s premiere vocalists and a consummate entertainer, the humble artist was most proud of his family. He\u2019s survived by his wife of 53 years Gloria, their three daughters Paige Thomas, Nora Cloud, and Erin Moore, and four grandchildren, Nadia Cloud, Keira Cloud, Ruby Moore, and Billy Joe Moore.<\/p>\n

A quote from his website exemplifies Thomas\u2019 humble attitude and appreciation for life. \u201cAll I am is just another guy. I\u2019ve been very lucky,\u201d he shared. \u201cI\u2019ve had a wonderful life, I\u2019ve been a husband and a father who cherishes his children and now I\u2019m a grandfather, and I\u2019m motivated like all these teachers and preachers and mothers and fathers to help my kids grow up with character and self-respect. I hope that doesn\u2019t sound too grandiose, but that\u2019s what it comes down to. It\u2019s what I\u2019ve tried to do with my music and with the majority of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funeral arrangements are forthcoming and will remain private. In lieu of flowers, in-memoriam donations will be accepted by Mission Arlington<\/a>, Tarrant Area Food Bank<\/a>, and the SPCA of Texas<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON, Texas \u2013 Five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, B.J. Thomas, died today at home in Arlington, Texas at the age of 78 from complications due to stage four lung cancer. Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America\u2019s musical landscape than B.J. Thomas. With his smooth, rich voice and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t