Mickey Thomas
Encyclopedia
John Michael Thomas aka Mickey Thomas (born December 3, 1949, Cairo, Georgia
) is an American
singer.
performance in 1965. Thomas, Connell, and Verran wound up in their first band
together. Verran was the lead vocalist
at the time. They split up to go to different colleges but later reformed in the early 1970s along with friend Bud Thomas as the "Jets".
Thomas was the vocalist for the Lords of London, a garage band
from Douglas, Georgia
for a brief time, along with guitarist Billy Folsom, bassist Bob Hutchinson, keyboardist Billy Corbi, and drummer Troy Blasingame.
as a backing vocalist
and eventually made it to lead vocals. His best known achievement was singing on Elvin Bishop's chart
hit Fooled Around and Fell in Love
, a #3 single in 1976.
after the departure of Marty Balin
and Grace Slick
. In 1981 he recorded his second solo album
, Alive Alone
. Former Elvin Bishop Group drummer Donny Baldwin
became drummer for Jefferson Starship two years later when Aynsley Dunbar
left.
Thomas spent most of the early eighties as the main vocalist of Jefferson Starship, performing several duets with Slick (who rejoined in 1981) and gaining greater influence in the band. After Paul Kantner
left in 1984, Thomas was leader of the band. From 1985-1989 the newly dubbed 'Starship' scored some of their biggest hits. When Grace Slick left again in 1988, Thomas sang all lead vocals. But their fortunes as pop music
artists soon ran out. A tour was cancelled after Thomas was attacked in a bar and required facial reconstruction surgery. (His assailant was Donny Baldwin, who chose to resign after the incident.)
reformed Jefferson Starship without Thomas, and Thomas formed a new touring band called Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. Touring has continued with this title.
Thomas recorded Wild Again for the soundtrack for the 1988 film Cocktail, as well as the title song for the 1989 film Sing
. He also appeared in the 1989 film Dream a Little Dream
and recorded the film's titled theme song and its duet version with Mel Tormé
for the soundtrack. The duet version was also played during the end of the film.
In 1998 he guested on Sammy Hagar
's album Marching To Mars.
In 2002 Thomas and his touring band re-recorded all of the Jefferson Starship hits on which he had appeared. The resulting album was released in 2003, without any band credits being provided, as Forever Gold, part of a series of releases by St. Clair Entertainment Group
.
In 2004 he released an album project, under the title of Over the Edge
, produced by Fabrizio Grossi
. In 2008 he recorded a new album with Aynsley Dunbar for Direct Music, featuring artists such as Jake E Lee, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne
. Thomas reunited with Elvin Bishop when Starship closed for them in late 2008.
In November 2010, Mickey Thomas announced on his website that a new Starship album, Loveless Fascination, will be released in late summer or early fall of 2011. In July 2011, Thomas released Marauder, a solo project covering songs originally recorded by other artists.
Cairo, Georgia
Cairo is a city in Grady County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,607. The city is the county seat of Grady County.-Syrup City:...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer.
Early career
Thomas was inspired to pursue a career in music after travelling to Atlanta with long time childhood friends Charles Connell and Tommy Verran to see a BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
performance in 1965. Thomas, Connell, and Verran wound up in their first band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
together. Verran was the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
at the time. They split up to go to different colleges but later reformed in the early 1970s along with friend Bud Thomas as the "Jets".
Thomas was the vocalist for the Lords of London, a garage band
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
from Douglas, Georgia
Douglas, Georgia
Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,589. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,708 as of the 2008 census...
for a brief time, along with guitarist Billy Folsom, bassist Bob Hutchinson, keyboardist Billy Corbi, and drummer Troy Blasingame.
Elvin Bishop Group
While singing lead for the Jets in 1974, Thomas joined the Elvin Bishop GroupElvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop is an American blues and rock and roll musician and guitarist.-Career:Bishop was born in Glendale, California, and grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was ten years old...
as a backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
and eventually made it to lead vocals. His best known achievement was singing on Elvin Bishop's chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit Fooled Around and Fell in Love
Fooled Around and Fell in Love
"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" was a single by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. It appeared on his 1975 album Struttin' My Stuff and was released as a single the following year. Bishop does not sing lead vocals on the track; feeling that his gravelly voice didn't do the song justice, he invited...
, a #3 single in 1976.
Jefferson Starship
In April 1979, Thomas was asked to join Jefferson StarshipJefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
after the departure of Marty Balin
Marty Balin
Marty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
and Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
. In 1981 he recorded his second solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Alive Alone
Alive Alone
Alive Alone is Mickey Thomas's 1981 album. After joining Jefferson Starship,Thomas was still under contract to record a second solo album. Alive Alone was released shortly after the Jefferson Starship album Modern Times, and Grace Slick's album Welcome to the Wrecking Ball!, but the Thomas album...
. Former Elvin Bishop Group drummer Donny Baldwin
Donny Baldwin
Donny Baldwin is an American drummer best known as a member of Jefferson Starship and its continuation Starship.Donny began his career as a drummer for Elvin Bishop during the 1970s where he worked with future Jefferson Starship bandmate Mickey Thomas...
became drummer for Jefferson Starship two years later when Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, UFO, and Journey...
left.
Thomas spent most of the early eighties as the main vocalist of Jefferson Starship, performing several duets with Slick (who rejoined in 1981) and gaining greater influence in the band. After Paul Kantner
Paul Kantner
Paul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
left in 1984, Thomas was leader of the band. From 1985-1989 the newly dubbed 'Starship' scored some of their biggest hits. When Grace Slick left again in 1988, Thomas sang all lead vocals. But their fortunes as pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artists soon ran out. A tour was cancelled after Thomas was attacked in a bar and required facial reconstruction surgery. (His assailant was Donny Baldwin, who chose to resign after the incident.)
Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
The original incarnation of Starship disbanded in 1991. In 1992 Paul KantnerPaul Kantner
Paul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
reformed Jefferson Starship without Thomas, and Thomas formed a new touring band called Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. Touring has continued with this title.
Solo and collaboration efforts
Thomas recorded the solo album As Long as You Love Me in 1976.Thomas recorded Wild Again for the soundtrack for the 1988 film Cocktail, as well as the title song for the 1989 film Sing
Sing (1989 film)
Sing is a 1989 film, starring Lorraine Bracco, Peter Dobson and Jessica Steen. The movie is about a fictional New York City SING! production...
. He also appeared in the 1989 film Dream a Little Dream
Dream a Little Dream
Dream a Little Dream is a 1989 teen film directed by Marc Rocco and stars Jason Robards, Corey Feldman, Piper Laurie, Meredith Salenger, Harry Dean Stanton and Corey Haim. It was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Released in 1,019 theaters, it accumulated $5,552,441. This was the third film...
and recorded the film's titled theme song and its duet version with Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
for the soundtrack. The duet version was also played during the end of the film.
In 1998 he guested on Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
's album Marching To Mars.
In 2002 Thomas and his touring band re-recorded all of the Jefferson Starship hits on which he had appeared. The resulting album was released in 2003, without any band credits being provided, as Forever Gold, part of a series of releases by St. Clair Entertainment Group
St. Clair Entertainment Group
The St. Clair Entertainment Group is a discount distributor of music and entertainment CDs and DVDs, with its corporate head office located in Woodland Hills, California. It was founded in 1985 as a distributor of music special products in Canada...
.
In 2004 he released an album project, under the title of Over the Edge
Over the Edge (Mickey Thomas album)
Over the Edge is the title of the 2004 album from American Rock singer Mickey Thomas. Writers on the album include Jack Blades, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Freddy Curci and Steven Cristol.- Track listing :# "Over The Edge"# "One World"# "Thief"...
, produced by Fabrizio Grossi
Fabrizio Grossi
Fabrizio Grossi, is an Italian-American Grammy nominated producer/mixer and label consultant.Musically broken in the New York City scene of the early 90’s, he started his career as US representative, developer and A&R associate for several European and Latin American record and entertainment...
. In 2008 he recorded a new album with Aynsley Dunbar for Direct Music, featuring artists such as Jake E Lee, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. Thomas reunited with Elvin Bishop when Starship closed for them in late 2008.
In November 2010, Mickey Thomas announced on his website that a new Starship album, Loveless Fascination, will be released in late summer or early fall of 2011. In July 2011, Thomas released Marauder, a solo project covering songs originally recorded by other artists.
Discography
- As Long as You Love Me (1976)
- Alive AloneAlive AloneAlive Alone is Mickey Thomas's 1981 album. After joining Jefferson Starship,Thomas was still under contract to record a second solo album. Alive Alone was released shortly after the Jefferson Starship album Modern Times, and Grace Slick's album Welcome to the Wrecking Ball!, but the Thomas album...
(1981) - Forever Gold (2003), St. Clair Entertainment
- Over the EdgeOver the Edge (Mickey Thomas album)Over the Edge is the title of the 2004 album from American Rock singer Mickey Thomas. Writers on the album include Jack Blades, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Freddy Curci and Steven Cristol.- Track listing :# "Over The Edge"# "One World"# "Thief"...
(2004) - Marauder (2011)