Posthumous release planned of crossover sensation B.J. Thomas hits

Jan. 8—NASHVILLE, Tenn. — B.J. Thomas, whose career spanned more than six decades and who sold more than 70 million albums, will have new music available to music lovers on Feb. 4, as Real Gone Music will release an 18-song CD that will include 13 previously unreleased songs.

This package includes eight unreleased songs from the Warner-Reprise Records vault, four songs from a limited-edition direct response album in the '90s, rare photos, outtakes recorded with veteran songwriter/producer Steve Dorff, and more. Fans can pre-order the collection at www.bjthomas.com.

Born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, Thomas began his career with the Houston-based band The Triumphs, when, as lead singer, he covered his father's favorite Hank Williams classic — "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." That led to Scepter Records to buy out his contract and take the song to the Top 10 on the national charts. Hit after hit then followed for Thomas as he mixed genres effortlessly, joining legendary Memphis producer Chips Moman for a series of smashes: "Hooked on a Feeling," "The Eyes of a New York Woman," "I Just Can't Help Believing." He hit paydirt with the No. 1 Bacharach-David hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," the Oscar-winning song from "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid."

Thomas' crossover to country was cemented with his 1975 pop/country/adult contemporary million-seller "(Hey, Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." Simultaneously, he became the first platinum-selling Contemporary Christian recording artist with a string of hugely popular albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s that also won him five Grammys and numerous other awards.

Along the way, Thomas made countless television appearances and performed thousands of concerts into 2020, when the Coronavirus pandemic brought an end to touring. His voice and energy remained almost supernaturally strong and Thomas eagerly looked forward to returning to the stage until cancer claimed his life on May 29, 2021, at the age of 78.

Track Listing:

1. Expression of Faith

2. Meet at My Heart

3. I Like Livin'

4. When the Hero Dies

5. The Best Things in Life

6. Rock and Roll Lullaby

7. Hands on Me Again

8. This Ain't a Song (It's a Prayer)

9. Think About Me

10. No One Else on Earth

11. Our Younger Hearts

12. That's The Thing About Love

13. Red Letter Days

14. When a Woman Talks

15. Love by Any Name

16. Memory in the Making

17. Wings of a Dove

18. America the Beautiful