Thomas had few pop hits after the mid-1970s, but he continued to score on the country charts with such No. "I was at the bottom with my addictions and my problems," he said in 2020 on "The Debby Campbell Goodtime Show." He cited a "spiritual awakening," shared with his wife, Gloria Richardson, with helping him to get clean. By 1976, while "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" was hitting No. He was touring and recording constantly and taking dozens of pills a day. Thomas would later say the phenomenon of "Raindrops" exacerbated an addiction to pills and alcohol which dated back to his teens, when a record producer in Houston suggested he take amphetamines to keep his energy up. Gavin MacLeod: 'Love Boat' and 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' actor dies at 90 "At the time, it seemed like a dumb idea. "When the film was released, I was highly critical – how did the song fit with the film? There was no rain," Redford told USA TODAY in 2019. Redford, meanwhile, doubted the song even belonged in "Butch Cassidy." Thomas was recovering from laryngitis while recording the soundtrack version and his vocals are raspier than for the track released on its own. But, at first, not everyone was satisfied. "Raindrops" has since been heard everywhere from "The Simpsons" to "Forrest Gump" and was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. But his warm, soulful tenor fit the song's easygoing mood, immortalized on film during the scene when Butch (Paul Newman) shows off his new bicycle to Etta Place (Katharine Ross), the girlfriend of the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford). 1 pop hit and an Oscar winner for best original song as part of the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of 1969, the irreverent Western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Thomas wasn't the first choice to perform the whimsical ballad composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David Ray Stevens turned the songwriters down. ( mark reinstein via Shutterstock.His signature recording was "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," a No. Thomas performing in Kansas on April 20, 2019. Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook ( Live365 (Official) and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter ( and Image: B.J. Ready to start your own station? Contact one of our Product Consultants today. l2zrmtfmKw- BJ Thomas May 29, 2021ĭiscover thousands of free stations from every genre of music and talk at. It is with profound sadness we confirm the passing of BJ Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Gloria, and three daughters. Thomas announced back in March he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. His final studio album was 2013’s The Living Room Sessions. Thomas recorded dozens of albums over the course of his decades-long career. He sang at Elvis Presley's 1977 memorial service alongside Jackie Wilson and the man responsible for his fame: Hank Williams. All five of his Grammy wins were for religious-themed songs. The change also prompted a transition into gospel music, and he won a Dove Award for his album Home Where I Belong. 1 on both the country and pop charts.Īfter years of drug and alcohol abuse, Thomas converted to Christianity in the mid-70s and started on a path of recovery. Thomas often crossed over between pop and country, and in 1975, his single "(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” reached No. The song was later popularized by Blue Swede in 1974. It was written by his childhood friend Mark James. Thomas is also known for his early version of the song "Hooked on a Feeling," which he recorded in 1968 for his album On My Way. It featured Thomas in cowboy attire, dancers, and cycling choreography inspired by the film. Thomas performed the song at the 42nd Annual Academy Awards in 1970. It featured his hit Hank Williams cover, and the LP art was simply an image of Thomas alone and crying.Īfter four album releases, Thomas finally had another hit with 1969's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." It was penned and produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the buddy western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This would prompt a full-length release for Thomas. His singing career was launched in 1966 after the pop group he led, The Triumphs, landed a single on the Billboard Hot 100 with their cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” It spent 13 weeks on the chart. Thomas was born in 1942 in Hugo, Oklahoma. Thomas, known for his versions of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" and "Hooked on a Feeling," passed away Saturday (May 29) at his home in Arlington, Texas from complications stemming from lung cancer.
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