BJ Thomas was in a frisky, chatty mood Thursday at The Sharon. He vocally roamed through his immense hit songbook with cool energy and laid-back charm.
This was a night for the BJ Thomas jukebox to crank out the hits that have sold more than 70 million records. But it also was an opportunity for the 76-year old singer to tell his life story and the people who played major roles in it.
Among the cast of characters: Liz Taylor, Jane Fonda, Hank Williams, Darlene Love, Duane Eddy, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Gloria Thomas, his wife of 50 years.
In between stories, Thomas performed most of his gold records, from his first hit single, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” to his biggest song of all-time, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.”
Every song tells a story and Thomas told how “Raindrops” happened. It was 1969 and he was based in Memphis, recording for Scepter Records. The label wanted him to move to New York City.
“They told me if I came to New York, I could have a chance to work with Burt Bacharach,” Thomas said. “I met Mr. Bacharach and the first thing he told me was: ‘BJ, I want you to learn to read music.’
“I told him I didn’t really want to read music. I feel music when I sing. I didn’t realize what he was telling me.”
That’s when Bacharach and writer Hal David gave Thomas the “Raindrops” song for the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
“I’ll be singing that song the rest of my life,” Thomas said, as he performed the number on stage, backed by a seven-piece band.
Thomas appeared on the 1970 Oscar telecast and it was there he met such stars as Liz Taylor and Jane Fonda. He sang “Raindrops” during the Oscar ceremony.
“But I never liked the way I sang it,” Thomas said, although the song did win the Academy Award. Nearly four decades later, Thomas said a friend gave him a DVD of that performance.
“You know, I sounded pretty good,” Thomas laughed. “I wasted 40 years thinking how bad it was.”
He sounded more than good throughout the Thursday night concert, which lasted nearly 90 minutes. This was BJ Thomas showing all his musical influences and vocal ability.
Thomas blended rock, pop, soul and gospel music with gusto and humor. He opened with a soulful version of the Temptations’ “Get Ready.”
“It’s good to be back in The Villages,” Thomas said. “We just flew in from Hawaii. Let’s have a good time tonight.”
The singer hit his stride early on with the elegant pop of “Rock and Roll Lullaby.” Thomas hit the high falsetto notes in style, and afterwards, explained that guitar hero Duane Eddy and famed singer Darlene Love were both on the record. “And Bing Crosby played the harmonica,” Thomas joked.
There was more slick pop on “I Just Can’t Help Believing” and he followed that with another guitar-laden smash, “Hooked On a Feeling.” The audience chipped in to help with a sing-a-long on “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.”
Thomas went back to his country roots with “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” The song was written and first performed by Hank Williams.
“Hank Williams was my Dad’s favorite singer,” Thomas said. “I saw Hank Williams once when I was just a kid. He came onstage and dropped his guitar. They had to get him a chair; he might have been drinking. I don’t know what happened but he was great, and I never forgot it.”
Another heart-tugging song with a country flavor – “Mama” – was delivered with an emotional wallop.
“I’m the luckiest man alive, thanks to my wife, Gloria,” Thomas said. He dedicated a song to his wife, “New Looks, From An Old Lover,” and it struck a personal chord for the singer, who said: “We’ve been together 50 years.”
Thomas reminisced about his early days.
“I started singing with a band when I was 15,” he said. “I went to audition and I sang Buddy Holly and Rick Nelson songs. I loved Ricky Nelson. He just stood there and sang. I figured I could do that, and I did.”
Thomas also is fond of gospel music. He made the theater feel like a revival meeting with a rousing “Mighty Clouds of Joy.” The tone switched to spiritual reverence on “Home Where I Belong.”
Then it was back to rocking, as Thomas delivered a punchy version of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby.”
Next up on the musical checklist was R&B.
“After we had our first hit, one of my first tours was with James Brown,” Thomas said. “When some people heard my voice on the records, they thought I was black. I took that as a compliment, because next to Elvis, R&B and African-American music is the best. I love it.”
Thomas also toured with Jackie Wilson.
“What a wonderful singer and what a great guy,” Thomas said. He then ripped into a Wilson standard – “Higher and Higher” – with raw energy. It was that kind of a night, when BJ Thomas told his story and hit all the right notes at the right time.
“He’s got a good voice and he makes happy, friendly music,” said Villager Judy Conley, who attended the show with fellow Villager Dwight Brockway. “That’s music from my era, in the ’50s and ’60s – and it still sounds good.”
Tony Violanti is a veteran journalist and writes for Villages-News.com.
