BJ Thomas

American iconic pop, country and gospel singer, Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas has found a unique way to celebrate an incredible half a century in music and some 47 years since his first gold selling hit on Scepter Records: an album of stripped down, intimate acoustic re-imaginings of 12 of his most renowned songs. With special guest artists Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Keb' Mo', Isaac Slade of The Fray, Richard Marx, Steve Tyrell, and more, joining him on his most memorable songs, Thomas releases The Living Room Sessions this Spring via Wrinkled Records.

BJ Thomas is a five-time Grammy and two-time Dove Award winner who has sold more than 70 million records and is ranked in Billboard's Top 50 most played artists over the past 50 years, invites longtime fans and newcomers alike into his "living room" for never-heard-before arrangements of his legendary classics. The Living Room Sessions also includes four solo performances by Thomas: the opening track "Don't Worry Baby" (a Beach Boys classic first covered by the singer in 1977), "Eyes of a New York Woman" (1968), "Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love" (a #1 country hit in 1983) and "Everybody's Out of Town" (1970). He worked with famed veteran country music producer Kyle Lehning (Randy Travis, Willie Nelson) at Sound Stage Studio in Nashville, and backed by some of Music City's finest sessions musicians.

Thomas recorded many of these as duets from his "wish list" of guest artists from different genres including pop great Richard Marx ("(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"), country legend Vince Gill ("I Just Can't Help Believing"), bluesman Keb' Mo' ("Most of All"), Lyle Lovett ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"), rocker Isaac Slade, lead singer of The Fray ("I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry") and producer/songwriter/ contemporary standards singer Steve Tyrell ("Rock and Roll Lullaby").

Says Thomas, "In the studio, everything was real simple and organic, and we didn't labor on anything too long to get things right. Mostly, it was a lot of fun. There were some great, surprising moments as well, particularly the performance from Isaac Slade and the dynamic vocals by Keb' Mo'. He is so much more than a blues musician. He originally wanted to do 'Hooked On A Feeling,' but I wanted to save that for Sara Niemietz, so we recorded 'Most of All.' He came in not knowing the song at all, but he sat down, learned it, internalized it and put in the work it took to make it magical."

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