B.J. Thomas

Billy Joe Thomas (August 7, 1942 – May 29, 2021) was an American singer widely known for his country, contemporary Christian, and pop hits of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Popular songs by Thomas include "Hooked on a Feeling" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969), "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (1975), "Don't Worry Baby" (1977), and "Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love" (1983).

In 2014, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Billy Joe Thomas was born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on August 7, 1942. He was the son of Geneva and Vernon Thomas. Thomas grew up both in and near Houston; he graduated from Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas.

He sang in a church choir in his teens and later joined the musical group The Triumphs with Tim Griffith (lead guitar), Tom Griffith (bass), Denver "Zeke" Zatyka (keyboards), Don Drachenberg (vocal and sax), and Ted Mensik (drums). During his senior year, Thomas 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.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.