B.J. THOMAS,
1942-2021

B.J. Thomas, whose break-out success in 1970 with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” launched a career in pop, country and gospel, died Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas, of complications due to lung cancer. He was 78.

With a smooth, rich voice and a keen melodic sense, Thomas won five Grammy Awards in gospel categories, and had hit singles across three decades.

Growing up in Houston, his first single was also his first million-seller—a rendition of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” for Scepter Records that peaked at #8 in 1966. Close to three years later, he had a second million-seller, “Hooked on a Feeling,” which reached #5 on the pop chart.

His labelmate at Scepter, Dionne Warwick, introduced him to Burt Bacharach who had him sing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” which he had written with longtime partner Hal David for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The song became Thomas’ first #1, won the Oscar for Best Original Song, quickly sold more than 2m copies, and has since become a pop standard.

Thomas’ streak of pop hits continued with “Everybody’s Out of Town,” “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “No Love at All” and “Rock and Roll Lullaby.”

He left Scepter Records for Paramount Records and released two albums before moving to ABC in 1975. There he topped the pop and country charts with “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” which would win

the Grammy for Best Country Song for Larry Butler and Chips Moman.

After becoming a born-again Christian in 1976, Thomas started recording gospel music, signing with Myrrh. His debut for the label, Home Where I Belong, was honored with Grammy and Dove awards on its way to being the first gospel record to sell a million copies.

In the 1980s, he worked in country music, topping the chart with “Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love” and “New Looks from an Old Lover Again,” and hitting the Top 10 with “The Whole World’s in Love When You’re Lonely” and “Two Car Garage.”

Thomas’ last album, 2013’s The Living Room Sessions, celebrated his nearly six decades in the music industry via duets on his hits with Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’, Lyle Lovett and others.