Timmy Thomas
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "other uses". Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Timothy Earle Thomas (November 13, 1944 – March 11, 2022) was an American R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the hit song, "Why Can't We Live Together".[1]
Life and career
Thomas was born in Evansville, Indiana, on November 13, 1944,[2] one of twelve siblings.[3] He first attracted interest in his work as an accompanist with Donald Byrd and Cannonball Adderley, before working as a session musician[1] in Memphis, Tennessee, and releasing singles on the Goldwax Records label. He had little solo success until he moved to Glades Records in Miami, Florida, and in late 1972 he released "Why Can't We Live Together".[1] The record topped the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, made the top three on the Billboard Hot 100, and top 20 in other countries including the United Kingdom[2] where it peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] This disc sold over two million copies.[2]
He was earlier part of a group called Phillip & the Faithfuls, which also included the singer Phillip Reynolds, releasing material for the Goldwax imprint, including "Love Me", "What'Cha Gonna Do" and "'If You Love Her" (all in 1964).Script error: No such module "Unsubst". He then became a session musician in Memphis, continuing to release solo sides for Goldwax, including "Have Some Boogaloo".Script error: No such module "Unsubst". He also released "It's My Life" in 1967. In 1970, he had switched labels to the Climax imprint and one side called "What's Bothering Me".Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Relocating to Miami, Florida, in 1972, Thomas played sessions for the TK group labels, signing to the Glades Records imprint, where, later that year, he released "Why Can't We Live Together".[5]
Thomas followed up the release with "People Are Changin'" (B-side "Rainbow Power") which reached the charts in 1973. In 1974, he released the album You're the Song I've Always Wanted to Sing.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". He went on to release six further Glades singles and then, in 1975 recorded a duet with Betty Wright entitled "It's What They Can't See".Script error: No such module "Unsubst". From 1976 through 1980, Thomas recorded singles for both the Glades imprint and the T.K. Disco label, including "Stone to the Bone", "Africano", "Touch to Touch", "The Magician", "Freak In, Freak Out" and "Drown in My Own Tears" and the albums The Magician (Glades, 1976) and Touch to Touch (Glades, 1977).Script error: No such module "Unsubst". He also continued to work on sessions for TK Records artists, including Gwen McCrae, and in later years as a producer.[6]
Thomas went on to record several R&B hits culminating in "Gotta Give a Little Love (Ten Years After)", a U.S. top 30 soul entry in 1984 for Gold Mountain Records.[1] Thomas appeared on Nicole McCloud's 1985 album What About Me?, singing on a duet with her called "New York Eyes". This track reached number 41 in the UK.[4]
In the 1990s, he worked as a producer for LaFace Records and released the album With Heart and Soul for DTM Records. Also, his song "(Dying Inside) To Hold You" was a hit in the Philippines, and gained further popularity in 2017 when it was covered by Darren Espanto for the film All of You.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
In 2015, Drake sampled Thomas' signature hit, "Why Can't We Live Together", on his single "Hotline Bling".[7]
Thomas died of cancer on March 11, 2022, at the age of 77.[8][9]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [10] |
US R&B [10] | |||||
| 1972 | Why Can't We Live Together[11] | 53 | 10 | |||
| 1974 | You're the Song I've Always Wanted to Sing[12] | — | — | |||
| 1976 | The Magician[12] | — | — | |||
| 1977 | Touch to Touch[12] | — | — | |||
| 1979 | Live[12] | — | — | |||
| 1984 | Gotta Give a Little Love (Ten Years After)[12] | — | — | |||
| 1994 | With Heart and Soul | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [13] |
US R&B [14] |
US Dance [15] |
AUS [16] |
UK [17] |
CAN (RPM) [18] | ||
| 1972 | "Why Can't We Live Together" | 3 | 1 | — | 25 | 12 | 6 |
| 1973 | "People Are Changin'" | 75 | 23 | — | — | — | — |
| "Let Me Be Your Eyes" | 107 | 48 | — | — | — | — | |
| "What Can I Tell Her" | 102 | 19 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "One Brief Moment" | — | 62 | — | — | — | — |
| "I've Got to See You Tonight" / "You're the Song (I've Always Wanted to Sing)" |
— — |
31 78 |
— | — | — | — | |
| "Deep in You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | "Sexy Woman" | — | 69 | — | — | — | — |
| "Ebony Affair" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | "Love Shine" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "The Magician" (UK only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | "Stone to the Bone" | — | 74 | 12 | — | — | — |
| "Touch to Touch" | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | |
| 1978 | "Freak In, Freak Out" | — | 92 | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | "Drown in My Own Tears" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981 | "Are You Crazy???" (Pt. 1) | — | 73 | — | — | — | — |
| 1982 | "My Last Affair" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984 | "Gotta Give a Little Love (Ten Years After)" | 80 | 29 | 28 | — | — | — |
| "Love Is Never Too Late" | — | 90 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | "New York Eyes" (with Nicole) | — | — | — | — | 41 | — |
| 1990 | "Why Can't We Live Together" (remix) | — | — | — | — | 54 | — |
| "(Dying Inside) To Hold You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | "What Do You Say to a Lady" (with Jackie Moore) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
- List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1973
- List of disco artists (S-Z)
- List of funk musicians
- List of soul musicians
- List of Soul Train episodes
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs
- Template:Trim/ Template:PAGENAMEBASE at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Pages with script errors
- Pages with broken file links
- 1944 births
- 2022 deaths
- Deaths from cancer in Florida
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singers
- African-American male singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- American rhythm and blues singers
- American soul musicians
- Musicians from Evansville, Indiana
- Singer-songwriters from Indiana