Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 05/31/21

Teardrops for B.J. Thomas. Five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee B.J. Thomas passed away at his home in Arlington, Texas on Saturday at the age of 78 from complications from stage four lung cancer.

Known for his smooth, rich voice, Thomas’ career began in the 1960s and crossed multiple genres, including country, pop, and gospel, picking up CMA, Dove, and Grammy awards and nominations along the way. Among his many enduring hits are his million-selling cover of Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, the Grammy-winning (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song and (my personal favorite) the iconic Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head which won the Academy Award for best original song. Other memorable hits include I Just Can’t Help Believing, Don’t Worry Baby, Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love, New Looks From An Old Lover and Hooked on a Feeling.

A five-time Grammy award winner and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, Thomas has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, scoring eight No. 1 hits and 26 Top 10 singles over his 50+ years in the music industry. His history of hits led Billboard to place him on their list the Top 50 Most Played Artists Over The Past 50 Years.

Born Billy Joe Thomas in rural Hugo, OK, he moved with his family to Houston, Texas. There he grew up absorbing a variety of musical influences from the traditional country of Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams Jr. to the soulful sounds of Jackie Wilson and Little Richard, whose Miss Ann was the first single B.J. ever bought. He began singing in church as a child and in his teens joined the Houston-based band the Triumphs.

Thomas’s first taste of success came in 1966 when he recorded I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry with producer Huey P. Meaux. Released by Scepter Records, it peaked at No. 8 on the pop charts and became his first million-selling single. He released the follow-up single Mama and delivered his first solo album that same year.

Thomas’ second million-selling hit came in 1968 with the release of Hooked on a Feeling from On My Way, his second album for Scepter. During his days with the New York label, he became friendly with Ronnie Milsap and Dionne Warwick who were also on the roster at the time. It was Warwick who introduced him to songwriter-producer Burt Bacharach. In January 1970, Thomas topped the charts with Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head. Penned by Bacharach and Hal David, the song was featured in the classic Paul Newman/Robert Redford film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and won an Oscar for best original song. Sales quickly exceeded two million copies and it has remained one of the most enduring pop hits of all time. A string of pop/rock hits followed, including Everybody’s Out of Town, I Just Can’t Help Believing, No Love at All and Rock and Roll Lullaby.

After six years with Scepter Records, Thomas signed with Paramount Records where he released two albums—1973’s Songs and 1974’s Longhorns & Londonbridges. In 1975, Thomas released the album Reunion on ABC Records, featuring (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song which holds the distinction of being the longest titled No. 1 hit ever on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Like many successful pop/rock artists, Thomas fell into drugs and battled substance abuse. His wife Gloria became a born-again Christian and the turning point in Thomas’ life came when he became a believer in 1976. That’s when he quit drugs and found an avenue for expressing his faith in gospel music. Thomas signed with Myrrh Records and released the album Home Where I Belong in 1976. Produced by Chris Christian, the project won Thomas a Grammy and became the first of two Dove Award wins. The album became the first gospel record to sell a million copies and Thomas went on to become one of gospel music’s most successful artists. Many consider his rendition of Amazing Grace to be one of the most poignant of the classic hymn’s many covers.

In addition to his country and gospel success, Thomas also enjoyed a healthy run on the country charts in the 1980s with such hits as Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love, New Looks from an Old Lover Again, The Whole World’s in Love When You’re Lonely and Two Car Garage. (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song was No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Country Songs charts. It won the Grammy for Best Country Song in 1976 and was nominated for CMA Single of the Year. On his 39th birthday in 1981, Thomas became the 60th member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Beyond populating multiple radio formats with so many beloved hits, Thomas also voiced the upbeat theme song As Long As We’ve Got Each Other for the popular TV series Growing Pains. As an actor, he appeared in the films Jory and Jake’s Corner. He authored two books, including his autobiography Home Where I Belong.

In 2013 Thomas released The Living Room Sessions, an acoustic album which celebrated his nearly six decades in the music industry. The recording featured duets with Richard Marx for ((Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song), Vince Gill (I Just Can’t Help Believing), Sara Niemietz (Hooked on a Feeling), Keb’ Mo’ (Most of All), Lyle Lovett (Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head) and The Fray’s Isaac Slade (I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry). The album was well-received with critics praising it as a reminder of just how engaging his voice remained after decades of recording and touring.

Though Thomas will be remembered as one of this generation’s premiere vocalists and a consummate entertainer, the humble artist was known to be most proud of his family. He’s survived by his wife of 53 years Gloria, their three daughters Paige Thomas, Nora Cloud, and Erin Moore, and four grandchildren, Nadia Cloud, Keira Cloud, Ruby Moore, and Billy Joe Moore.

A quote from his website exemplifies Thomas’ humble attitude and appreciation for life. “All I am is just another guy. I’ve been very lucky,” he shared. “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. I hope that doesn’t sound too grandiose, but that’s what it comes down to. It’s what I’ve tried to do with my music and with the majority of my life.”

Funeral arrangements are forthcoming and will remain private. In lieu of flowers, in-memoriam donations will be accepted by Mission Arlington, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the SPCA of Texas.
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Never Fight Alone. That’s the name of the new 30-minute film from I Am Second in association with Mighty Oaks Foundation and Global Digital Releasing. Time to coincide with Memorial Day and PTSD Awareness Month in June, the 30-minute program, available for a limited time on www.iamsecond.com, tackles the challenges many veterans face, specifically regarding battles with PTSD that reportedly leads to over 20 suicides a day and a staggering divorce rate amongst military families.

For MMA star Chad Robichaux the film is personal. Never Fight Alone shares his struggles after coming home from Afghanistan with PTSD and a failing marriage and what led him to create the Mighty Oaks Foundation. It also includes testimonials from veterans, both men, and women, sharing how the programs completely transformed the trajectory of their lives and directed them to discover purpose and overcoming past traumas. The founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation says “When you are going through an impossible situation you often think you are all alone and that no one can possibly experience what you are experiencing, no one can feel what you feel and no one can understand…It is very easy to focus on yourself, your own circumstances and self-pity and miss the very fact that many of those around you are experiencing the very same thing.”

Robichaux, who is a best-selling author as well as a champion MMA fighter, joined the Marines at the age of 17. Deploying to Afghanistan, he fought in combat and began to experience panic attacks and uncontrollable anger, eventually being diagnosed with PTSD. Living in brokenness, Robichaux struggled as he no longer had the identity of an active Marine and even thought about ending his life.

Robichaux recalls “I tried pills, MMA fighting, counseling, jujitsu, but nothing was working. It was time for me to try something different..I decided to surrender my life to Christ at that moment and step into the life that Christ intended me to live.”

Realizing that countless other combat veterans face the same psychological, emotional, and spiritual challenges he did after his service in Afghanistan, Robichaux founded Mighty Oaks Foundation. Offering a variety of programs, the organization encourages veterans to find hope and purpose beyond their military service, grabbing hold of a future worth living again. The name was inspired by the scripture Isaiah 61:3 that says we can rise from the ashes and become mighty oaks of righteousness.

According to I Am Second Vice President John Humphrey “This new film is for veterans and their families, those that love and support them, and for anyone who doesn’t want their past to define their future…It gives the viewer a unique perspective on a condition that affects the lives of many military families, while also sharing stories of veteran’s personal struggles and triumphs.”

To learn more about Mighty Oaks Foundation or watch “Never Fight Alone” visit, https://www.iamsecond.com/film/never-fight-alone/. The film will be available on I Am Second for viewing through the end of June 2021.