Robert Vellani,
Burlington, NC
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As a singer, BJ Thomas's voice has always been an inspiration to me. I was hired to sing on a session at the old Cherokee Studios on Fairfax, sometime in the late 80s, I think. BJ Thomas was there working in another one of the studio rooms, and came into ours to listen. Since he was hanging out there in the control room, I started chatting with him, and let him know how much his work had meant to me. The discussion got into talking about what he'd been up to lately, and I casually mentioned that I'd seen that he had recently gone through a period of being a gospel artist.
He looked straight ahead and said, "Well, I learned one thing: The only thing more corrupt and full of greed than the record business is the gospel record business."
Gary Stockdale
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Maybe BJ actually had THREE careers?? He went through a public conversion and started making Christian records for Word Inc. out of Waco, TX around 1977. He had a string of nearly ten Contemporary Christian records over the next 6 or 7 years. He toured with Andrae Crouch and others. The story goes that Christians in his audience would boo when he sang his pop hits. And then others would boo when he'd talk about Jesus and sing his CCM hits. I got to him in once in the late '90's in the halls at Warner Bros. Nashville. I was beside myself trying to even speak a word. What a legend. What a loss.
Chris Hauser
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BJ: "Raindrops....", "Hooked..." and "Another Done Somebody Wrong Song". Great Southern Company(me, Ira Sokoloff, Phil Walden, and others) did his merchandise in late '70's/early '80's. He was just starting to do religious songs mostly by then. A nice, gentle man.
Willie Perkins
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Thanks Bob,I worked in a club where every night the DJ would end the night by playing Hooked On a Feeling.I heard it every night.And I never got tired of it.It's a great song,and BJ Thomas nails it.I've been listening to it all weekend in my mind.Stay well Bob.Thanks,Ted Keane
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Good one Bob. I liked his songs and immediately went to Spotify to listen.
Kenneth Williams
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Katherine Ross .... made me wanna be that bicycle....
Andrew Loog Oldham
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B.J.'s nephew is a good friend of mine so I got a chance to meet him a couple times in the past few years. More than just a great performer, he was a genuinely nice human being. He made me feel welcome and apparently asked about me every time he talked to Bobby after that. Condolences to his lovely wife Gloria and their whole family.
Tim Fricke
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Nice job, Bob.
I was in a band that was fortunate to open up for B. J. once back in the lat 70's. He couldn't have been a nicer guy. He came in to our dressing room after we were done and told us we'd done a great job, and chatted with us for a little bit.
A very nice guy indeed.
Bill Scherer
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Reservoir Dogs.!
Both of his iconic songs are eternally etched into our existence via the power of film.
Paul Koidis
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Hey Bob, what a great read and reminded of BJ Thomas and his music. I had such a flash back after reading your post, I guess growing up in Seattle I heard a bunch of BJ on Seattle radio KING Am and KJR both played him a lot. I just wanted to add his version of BeachBoys "Don't worry Baby " and ( Hey Won't you play ) another somebody done somebody wrong song. Were huge records... and they will always put that period in a capsule for me and many.????
Frank Higginbotham
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He was a good man. We had Instagram communication. He was humble, kind and funny. He deserved a lot more than he received.
Lgjg94
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Got to meet BJ Thomas when he was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame years ago. He personified what would become blue-eye soul pop music after the Righteous Brothers.
He told a story of how he was supposed to sing the song "In the Ghetto" which would have made him an even bigger star with its far reaching civil rights message.
But at the last minute the song was pitched to Elvis who needed a career boost badly and the rest is history. RIP BJ
Kenny Lee Lewis
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Bob...check out B.J.'s follow-up to "Feeling," "The Eyes Of A New York Woman"...it's got the "guitar sitar" on it and it's one of the great NYC songs...love it to this day...
Matthew Auerbach
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Actually, the artist briefly known as 'Blue Swede' never disappeared but, rather, stepped seamlessly back into his career as himself, Björn Skifs, in Sweden, where he remains an icon to this day. His version of 'Hooked On A Feeling' was a bit of a joke which, as things did and continue to occasionally do, went inexplicably 'viral'. His Wiki page is only in Swedish, if you're curious here it is, Google Translate works just fine.
sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rn_Skifs
Eric Bazilian
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More important than so many others. Forever hooked on a feeling
Randy Lauderdale
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Thank you for this tribute to BJ Thomas.
Some of the things you said really resonate with me and take me back to 1969.
Your observation about polling and quizzing youngsters about movies today, made me think of an experience I had a few weeks back.
I play a ZOOM open mic each week where a 'challenge' gets set for the upcoming week. The challenge was to play a song from a movie. I decided to play 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head' - thinking my audience will be familiar with the song. Age-wise, they range from late 20's up to late 60's. To my surprise, there were people who didn't know the song and didn't know the movie it came from. But they all agreed it was a great song.
I came away happy to know that the song was recognized for its strengths (it transcended the performer!!) but sad that a movie, a scene, a song that I accept as such an emotionally resonant and iconic part of our culture, can mean nothing to people whom I otherwise share a bond with through the weekly playing of live music on ZOOM.
andy jones
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Hey Bobby, yeh i heard the news about B.J. i was on Facebook yesterday and saw a great pic of him... obviously a young foto..forgot how good looking he was..hahah...it's funny how you say we all were so young at the time when all that great music was being recorded...where do you even start right? i was trying to get downtown yesterday and a guy came up behind me on a bike and said randy!....RANDY!...i'm like holy fuck who is it now... he says B.J. Thomas just died... i'm like ya i just heard..don't have a clue who this guy was cause we're all wearing masks up here but he knew who i was.. it's funny how you just don't know sometimes who remembers anything but i guess us oldtimers remembered him.. he had a real good string of hits... and he will be remembered ...All the Best baby... thanks for the tribute to Mister Thomas
Randy Dawson
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I am a bit of a cover act, I do well over 100 songs.
All genres pop, rock, folk, country.
I play 'Rain Drops', and almost aways announce it
as the happiest song ever.
The horn section piece at the end is my favourite
piece of music of all time.
I cover it with vocal da da da das.
I like music from folk to death metal, but that little
song, and that little horn piece just moves me.
At least he went fast.
OK, now I need to figure out Hooked in a key
I can sing.
Cheers
Mitch Nixon
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listen to rock and roll lullabye and mighty clouds of joy---two BJ also-ran songs that are simply glorious
such a voice
a wile ago he also release an album done in the bossa nova style---pretty cool stuff
frank
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Thank you. I remember the high school party I was at when I heard "hooked on a feeling" for the first time. Fan ever since We lost a good one
John Huie
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I've been reading you for years and never commented.
You nailed it with the BJ Thomas piece.
I recall the Scepter 45's
Thanks
Rick Gelok
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Man you got me right back in memory lane His music stuck with you like glue. I even remover walking my family's Dog called Snoopy Another sign of those times I'd also sneak a cigarette if it was after Sundown Man you felt like you had it really going on
Thanks for reawakening those memories Bob
Cheers The Sutterman
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I'd just like to note that BJ Thomas' first hit, his version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," is also one of his best and really shows how well he could sing. Also his "I Can't' Help Believing" was his fourth Top Ten single. Not two.
Toby Mamis
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As you wrote in your love letter to 1971, I too was born at the perfect time, albeit several years before you. Hooked on a Feeling was pure dynamite with so much character and punch that it almost jumped out of the tinny transistor that I had. Raindrops was pure dreck in comparison, although the Bacharach/David team created that incredible and indelible string of masterpieces otherwise.
As far as earthy, well Katherine Ross and Ali McGraw did it for me as I was transitioning from teen-boy to teen-man. Election night in NY and one of the Independent stations (PIX or WOR) played The Graduate year in and year out for a while - for me!, and if I see it another 10 times it won't be enough. Both that and Goodbye Columbus struck a chord deep within me and I'm not sure that I've ever gotten over how they affected me. And I'll surely never forget how both Ross and McGraw in those roles did that to me as well.
And now, you reminded me to pull up Hooked on a Feeling - the original of course and let it reign o'er me.
Alan
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Great tribute to BJ Thomas . . . he could flat-out sing, and had a surprising number of hit singles. The kind of performer who you go to see and find yourself saying "I forgot he did that one" . . .
- Raindrops (of course),
- Hooked On A Feeling (as you nailed spot on), but also
- Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
- No Love At All
- Rock & Roll Lullaby
- I Just Can't Help Believing
- Everyone Is Out Of Town
- Most Of All
. . . I think he even did the theme to a TV show back in the 80's, and he had quite a run in Contemporary Christian music after dealing with some challenges. Great songs delivered by a terrific singer. It's sobering when the guys who created our lives' soundtracks move on.
Be well Bob and keep up the great work . . . I've been enjoying your musical insights for years now, ever since the late, great, Bud Prager turned me onto your newsletter.
God bless & GOGETEM!
Pat O'Connor
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Hey Bob,
great write up about B.J. Thomas .Let me tell you about what a class act he was.
I was blessed to cross paths with him on numerous occasions in various circumstances over the years and he was always professional, humble , kind , and always made time for everyone. It's a dream come true when one of your musical hero's turns out to be a wonderful human. Years ago when I first met him , I told him the story of how in '68 or 69 as a child , my Mom took me to see him in concert at the Univ. of Alabama. It was my first real concert and my little 5 year mind was blown and I knew right then what I wanted to do in life. Play music on stage. I told B.J. of how it was such an inspiration to me and his reply in a serious , straight man face - " I'm so very sorry you ended up in the music business" Then he busted out laughing loudly and gave me a big hug! I melted.. I have a framed photo of that moment and the both of us are cracking up.
Fast forward , years later in August of 2019 my band Sixwire ( who I'm the drummer for ) is the house band for Elvis Week at Graceland , and B.J. was the main guest star performer singing songs that were recorded at American Sound studios ( where "Hooked on a Feeling" and tons of other hits were recorded) He was amazing! All songs were in the original song keys and he sang his ass off, and he could not have been nicer to all of the musicians on stage. A joy to work with.
Sorry for the length , but here's the pay off. My Mom ( and all my fam) was at this show. She is a lifelong , huge fan of B.J.'s and insisted that she come back stage after ward and meet her life long crush and musical hero. I made it happen. Back story, she's 80 years old, has some obvious major health issues going on. B. J. comes over to me and asks "who's this young lady?" and she just lit UP, all goofy and smiling and acting like a total fan girl. He looks at me and just smiles and winks and gave her all the time she wanted and took pics of the 3 of us… and just like that , my Mom thought she was 25 years old and she floated out of the room , and just for a moment , I saw my Mom became the healthy lady she used to be. I could have cried.
So I go visit my parents for Xmas a few months later and she has a framed photo of her and B. J. on her mantle , with ME cropped OUT of the photo!! I knew you loved B.J. Mom, but what the hell?! ( Oldest son, kicked to the curb ….). We still laugh about it, and she was deeply saddened to hear of his passing yesterday..That photo of her and B.J. is one of her prized possessions. B.J. went out of his way to make her feel special, and boy did he do that. He would've laughed his ass off about my Mom's photo cropping skills too, I assure you.
I just wanted to share this with you as I know you'll be flooded with
tons of stories of how wonderful B. J. was. Take care and stay healthy Bob .
Chuck D. Tilley
Nashville
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I was thrilled to read your tribute to BJ, and to include Reggie Young as well was really special.
Two of the nicest and most talented people I ever knew.
I first met BJ ,on a Dick Clark American Bandstand tour, many years ago.
Son of a preacher man, a true gentleman, humble, always smiling and caring.
A voice from above.
Met Reggie when I moved to Nashville, another fantastic human being.
Giant of the guitar, and as a man.
Thank you for letting people know of the tremendous contributions that they made to the music we have been listening to all these years.
Best to you and your family,
Felix Cavaliere
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