B. J. Thomas
If you have the burning desire to do music, the live performance is one of the major parts.Collection: Music
My Dad was just a working man. He was a good man and he loved music.Collection: Dad
When I do 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry,' I remember my dad. He was the one who asked me to sing it, so it's a song I'm doing for him every time I do it.Collection: Dad
Ever since the beginning I've tried to do positive music, even though it has meant a lot of struggles against record companies and producers.Collection: Positive
I knew all about religion all my life; it just never was real to me.
People sometimes begin to hide who they really are and they put on their friends. They don't realize what they're covering up is what the Lord made.
Trying to raise my self-image caused me to do everything in excess and defeat my own purpose.
The greatest compliment a person could pay my music is to listen and sing along with it and think that he can sing just as good as me.
I'm an upbeat person, especially when I'm onstage and when I'm involved with my music.
I had had eight hits on the Top 20 chart before 'Raindrops,' but they were soon forgotten and so was I. Before that song, I was successful at selling records, but I was never a somebody.
If I'd never had a hit record, I still would have had a wonderful life because of Gloria, and our children and now my grandchildren.
I think accepting Christ as your personal savior is the only way to have peace and real happiness in your life.
I try to give the soft pop sound a natural relaxed feeling.
My home life and my Christianity have made me stronger.
The only songs I would learn were songs that moved me emotionally.
If I don't have a record out, I'm pretty quiet.
I'm from the generation where when we recorded 'Hooked On A Feeling,' we did my vocal live to track. It was all live.
I try to be positive.
The Opry was my boyhood inspiration. It's something I've always wanted to do.
My dad and his brothers were in the air conditioning business.
I've had a wonderful life, I've been a husband and a father who cherishes his children and now I'm a grandfather, and I'm motivated like all these teachers and preachers and mothers and fathers to help my kids grow up with character and self respect.
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.
I noticed as I was growing up, watching Jackie Wilson and Bobby Bland and those singers, that they seemed to believe wholly and completely in what they were singing. They used to call it 'soul' back when I was a kid, but I knew that it was important to believe in what you were singing.
I've probably had more hits in South America than I've had in North America.
I made my first trip to Brazil in 1974.
Is 'Raindrops' a country song? I think it's a little bit of a stretch, but OK.
My Christian faith has sustained me.
I always recorded my vocals live with the band. Usually we'd just start from scratch. After we chose whatever song we decided to record, we would learn it on the spot. Sometimes it might develop rather quickly; on other occasions it would take numerous takes to achieve the master. But it was always a natural progression.
I was a huge R&B enthusiast.
My dad, God bless him, had his problems and transferred them over to me. He was a huge hero to me, and I wanted to be just like him.
I go down to South America every four or five years or so.
I've got lifetime memories tied to my songs; I never get tired of singing them. I don't blame you if you don't believe me, but I've never had that problem.
I know that Gloria and I being together became the most important thing to me.
If a song really moves me, if I think it's a good song, I can do it.
Elvis never had any compunctions about doing gospel music. At the height of his initial breakthrough he was putting out gospel records.
Well, I need to do music.
If my voice gets rough and tired after hours of recording, I just stop for an hour and eat a bite of something and come back.
I was a happy kid. I played a lot of baseball with my big brother, Jerry.
The lines and distinction between what's considered country and what's considered pop have really changed over the years.
When I was a teenager I sang with some of my buddies.
We were thinking of an excuse to go into the studio - me and Allan Schwartzberg and Bob Mann, my two guys I've recorded with so much in New York City. We said, 'Man, let's make an album of Brazilian music just for ourselves, if nothing else.' So we made it.
We've always tried to do the right thing as far as getting our music out and encouraging people with positive music.
I grew up with the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, but when I was about 12 or 13, I fell in love with Jackie Wilson and Bobby Bland.
I had low self-esteem.
I've always been a pop artist.
I can remember being a kid and listening to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night.
Houston had a great history and a great scene.
I never put my heart into anything I don't believe in, or can't feel personally.
I feel like I did a lot to open the doors for people like Amy Grant and other gospel singers who want to sing mainstream music.
Hopefully, one day, I'd like to settle down with my own gospel recording company.