Thomas is an American vocal icon, a uniting voice of his generation and the only recording artist to ever have the “Song of the Year” on the Pop, Country, and Gospel Charts.

B.J. (Billy Joe) Thomas began his singing career began as B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs, featuring “Zeke” Zatyka on bass, Don Drachenberg on saxophone and Ted Mensik on drums. In 1966, Thomas and the Triumphs released a single featuring: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” with Thomas covering Hank William’s classic song. The single went gold, selling over one million copies. That same year, Thomas released a solo album with Scepter Records and joined Dick Clark’s “Caravan of Stars” tour. Thomas soon followed his early success with his second million-selling song, “Hooked On A Feeling.”

“I was part of this tour with people like Roy Orbison and The Four Seasons,” B.J. Thomas said. “It was kind of a grind — very little sleep and we never really ate well. But the back-of-the-bus stories were incredible!”

Thomas’ fellow Sceptor Records recording artist and friend, Dionne Warwick, introduced him to her close friend and songwriting kingpin, Burt Bacharach. Bacharach tapped Thomas to sing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” for a film he was writing the score for titled “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Photo submitted to Times Observer B.J. Thomas.

“Raindrops” became a worldwide sensation and won Thomas an Academy Award. Thomas also performed the song live on the Oscars in 1970. Later in 2013, “Raindrops” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Thomas went on to win five Grammy Awards, two Dove Awards and to record numerous hits, including “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” “Rock and Roll Lullaby,” “I Just Can’t Stop Believing,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “The Eyes Of A New York Woman,” “Long Ago Tomorrow,” “As Long As We Got Each Other,” and many more.

Thomas’s songs were a phenomenon, soaring to the top of the charts in four genres including rock, pop, country, and Christian music. But, ironically, Thomas’ biggest influences came from early R&B artists.

“My idol was Jackie Wilson,” said Thomas “and I toured with James Brown. The label I was on had Dionne, The Shirelles, and several other R&B artists. I loved guys like Ray Charles and I tried to convey that soulful sincerity that they had.”

Thomas’s songs earned the recording artist invitations to tour around the world, appear on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and record songs for television and film. Thomas became the 60th member of The Grand Ole Opry and is the author of multiple books. Despite the success of his career, Thomas is humble and sincere and really loves his fans, staying for encores and sharing his joy in performing. Throughout his concerts, Thomas shares stories and songs that take audiences through his life in music.

When Thomas sings, song after song, that light in his eyes was still there. The voice still has all the magic that wraps you up in each story and each note.

Tickets for B.J. Thomas are $35, $39 and $45 and are available online at strutherslibrarytheatre.com, by calling (814) 723-7231, stopping by the theatre office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, or by coming to the box office one hour before showtime (as long as the show has not sold out) on October 12. B.J. Thomas at Struthers Library Theatre is sponsored by Northwest Bank.