Billy Joe Thomas, better known as BJ Thomas, was an American singer. He is best known for his hits “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Raindrops Fallin’ Keep on My Head”. Thomas died on May 29 of stage four lung cancer. BJ Thomas’s net worth before his death is estimated to be around $5 million.
| Full Name | Billy Joe Thomas |
| Birth Date | August 7, 1942 |
| Birth Place | Hugo, Oklahoma, United States |
| Profession | Singer |
| Wife | Gloria Richardson |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Death | May 29, 2021 |
Early life
Minette Thomas was born on August 7, 1942, in Hugo, Oklahoma. She spent her childhood in Houston, Texas. When she was a teenager, she sang songs in the church choir. Thomas graduated from Lamar Consolidated High School. Before her solo career, she played in the music group The Triumphs.
Thomas later befriended Roy Head and the rock group The Traits, with whom he organized various Battle of the Bands events. Around 1966 he worked with The Triumphs and released an album called I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. The album includes a version of the hit “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, which became a hit and sold over a million copies.
Net Worth and Music Career of BJ Thomas
In 1968, Thomas released his second million-copy album, Hooked on a Feeling. Shortly after a year, she reached another milestone singing “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” The song earned him an Oscar for Best Original Song. In January 1970, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the ’70s he had many hits like “I Just Can’t Help B Believe”, “Everybody’s Out of Town”, “No Love at All” and “Rock and Roll Lullaby”. Thomas released an album in 1974 called Reunion. Including the song “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song”. It became the longest title track to reach number one on the Hot 100. The single was also her first major hit since 1972.
In 1976, Thomas released another masterpiece, an album called Home Where I Belong. It was her first Christian album to go platinum. The album also helped establish him as the biggest contemporary Christian music artist. Also in the 80’s he was writing great music, Thomas had many hits like “Old Lover’s New Look”, “What Happened to Old Love” and “Two Car Garage”.
Thomas also sang the theme song “While We Are Each Other” for the television series Growing Pains. In fact, she had previously released the song on her 1985 album Throwing Rocks at the Moon. In 2013 she released an album called The Living Room Sessions which features acoustic arrangements of many famous songs. In the same year, on December 3, 2013, it was announced that her 1969 song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. .
Personal life of BJ Thomas
Thomas was married to singer-songwriter Gloria Richardson. He shared her wedding vows with her in December 1968. Thomas and Gloria have three daughters, Paige, Nora, and Erin. In 1978 they adopted a second daughter, Nora, from North Korea.
His marriage nearly fell apart when he became addicted to drugs and alcohol after making a successful music career. He later converted to Christianity on January 28, 1976. Shortly after, his wife Gloria also converted to Christianity, which helped them reconcile in 1976.
Thomas had stage IV lung cancer, which he announced on his Facebook page on March 23, 2021. He would leave the world at the age of 78 on May 29 at his home in Arlington, Texas.
BJ Thomas net worth
With his incredible successes, BJ Thomas has certainly left a legacy to remember. As of 2021, BJ Thomas has an estimated net worth of around $5 million. Thomas earned all of his money from his music career spanning more than six decades.
