Rob Thomas (musician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas (born February 14, 1972) is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty
. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist. Thomas earned three Grammy awards for co-writing and singing on the Carlos Santana
triple-platinum hit "Smooth
", on the album Supernatural in 1999.
He has also lent his songwriting talents to such artists as Tom Petty
, Willie Nelson
, Mick Jagger
, Marc Anthony
, Pat Green
, Taylor Hicks
, Travis Tritt
and Daughtry.
Since 1995, his band has released a string of hit singles to radio including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World
", "Back 2 Good
", "Bent
", "If You're Gone
", "Mad Season
", "Disease
", "Unwell
", "Bright Lights", and "How Far We've Come
". In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame
awarded Thomas its first Starlight Award, recognizing young songwriters who have already had a lasting influence in the music industry.
, Thomas began his solo
career with the release of …Something to Be which shot to #1 on the album chart. This marked the first time a male artist from a rock and/or pop group had debuted at number one with his first solo album since the Billboard 200
was introduced 50 years prior. His first single off this album, "Lonely No More
", reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart. The single debuted in the Top 10 of the Australian ARIAnet singles chart on the week of April 4, 2005. The second single, "This Is How a Heart Breaks
", (used during a majority of telecasts for ABC
's coverage of the NBA Playoffs
), was not as successful, but the third single, "Ever The Same
", went gold and became a top-five Adult Contemporary hit.
As a solo act, Thomas made several significant appearances. On July 2, 2005, Thomas appeared at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia
, singing a solo set and "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder
. He also appeared on the September 10, 2005 MTV Katrina Relief Concert. On October 5, 2005, he started his first solo tour, the Something to Be Tour
. In the summer of 2006, Thomas toured with Jewel
and Toby Lightman
.
In September 2006, Thomas's solo effort received more exposure when ABC started using the song "Streetcorner Symphony
" in promotional ads for its popular Thursday night lineup. This song was subsequently released as a single.
In January 2007, Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders
" from the soundtrack to the Disney animated feature, Meet the Robinsons
. "Little Wonders" reached #5 on the Mediabase Hot Adult Contemporary chart. Thomas was featured on the June 14, 2007 episode of the long-running PBS
series Soundstage
.
In 2007, Thomas and his band Matchbox Twenty released another album entitled Exile on Mainstream
. The album was a two-disc set with one disc featuring the band's greatest hits to date and the second disc featuring six new songs. The album released three singles: "How Far We've Come", "All Your Reasons", and "These Hard Times".
Also in 2009, Rob Thomas and Rivers Cuomo
began a collaboration due to popular demand to appear on Weezer
's eighth album. The song is described as reggae.
On February 25, 2009, it was announced via Fox News that Thomas would be releasing his second solo record Cradlesong in May 2009. It was mentioned, in addition, that there were "at least four hot singles awaiting radio play including 'Her Diamonds' and 'Someday'."
On the same day, Thomas announced on his official website that he had been "back and forth to Los Angeles quite a bit, mixing the new record." However, he denied the album would be released in May, mentioning it "looks like it won't be coming until the last week of June or the first week of July."
On March 2, 2009, Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
interviewed Thomas, where he confirmed he had since shelved his initial efforts to evoke The Rhythm of the Saints, and claimed the album was scheduled for a June 30 release. Having played half the forthcoming album to Entertainment Weekly, it was reported that many of the lyrics on Cradlesong centered around troubled relationships, and three more song titles were revealed: "Meltdown" (described as "INXS-esque power pop" that stood out as "a possible first single"), "Fire on the Mountain" (an "epic, tribal drum-driven" track inspired by Dave Eggers' book What Is the What) and "Getting Late" (suggested as the "set's likely closer" and what Thomas described as "a little ditty about death.").
On March 11, 2009, Rob Thomas started his own Twitter
account and announced via the social application that "Her Diamonds
" would be the lead single from Cradlesong.
Thomas has also stated via Twitter that Cradlesong
had been mastered and featured fourteen tracks culled from the twenty-four songs recorded during the album sessions. All twenty-four tracks were fully mixed and mastered, leaving plenty of material left over for B-sides, iTunes, or EPs.
On May 21, 2009, Thomas performed "Her Diamonds
" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
.
On June 9, 2009, Thomas released "Give Me The Meltdown
" on US iTunes
. Similarly, "Someday
" was released on June 16. On June 22, Cradlesong was made available for streaming only on the we7 website, one week ahead of its UK release date.
Thomas promoted the album with his 2009/2010 tour, Cradlesong Tour
.
In March 2010, Thomas announced plans to release a four song digital only EP entitled Someday EP. Featuring three new songs, the EP will be available on iTunes starting March 30, 2010, and all other digital retailers April 6, 2010.
In June 2010, Thomas was the special guest on Daryl Hall
's monthly internet concert series "Live From Daryl's House". They performed the Matchbox 20 hits "3 AM" and "Disease", as well as Thomas's solo songs "Someday" and "Ever The Same". They also performed Hall and Oates hits "She's Gone" and "Kiss On My List
", and the Marvin Gaye
classic "I Heard It Through The Grapevine
".
In addition to his music career, Thomas also made a guest appearance playing himself and with Sinbad
on the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
. He is also a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher
.
, West Germany
on Ramstein Air Base
to parents serving in the U.S. Army, who moved the family place to place around the world. Thomas' parents divorced while he was very young, at which point his father retired and disconnected from the family. He and his siblings spent much time with their mother in Gainesville, Florida
and with their grandparents in Manning, South Carolina
where he later dropped out of high school in the twelfth grade at the age of 17. He has since earned his G.E.D. Thomas and his wife Marisol Maldonado married on October 2, 1999 and currently live in Mount Kisco, New York
. The couple also have a home on Lake Marion
in Manning, South Carolina. Thomas has a son named Maison (born July 10, 1998) from a previous relationship. The Thomas' are committed animal lovers and supporters of animal charities. Rob and his wife have established the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization created to help needy people in and around America’s big cities by partnering with various charities to assist people who get lost in the system, those who cannot afford medical care, and animals that have been abandoned or abused. Politically, Thomas considers himself a "fairly liberal
guy," and has written in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage on the blog The Huffington Post
.
Rob Thomas considers himself to be from Orlando, Florida where he got his break into the business.
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist. Thomas earned three Grammy awards for co-writing and singing on the Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
triple-platinum hit "Smooth
Smooth (song)
"Smooth" is a collaboration between latin rock band Santana and Rob Thomas of the rock group Matchbox Twenty. The song was written by Thomas and Itaal Shur, sung by Thomas, and won three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.-Concept...
", on the album Supernatural in 1999.
He has also lent his songwriting talents to such artists as Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
, Pat Green
Pat Green
Patrick Craven "Pat" Green is an American Texas Country artist. Active since 1995, he has recorded a total of ten studio albums, including several independent works, three for Republic Records and two for BNA...
, Taylor Hicks
Taylor Hicks
Taylor Reuben Hicks is an American singer who achieved fame in 2006, when he won the fifth season of American Idol. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released...
, Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
and Daughtry.
Since 1995, his band has released a string of hit singles to radio including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World
Real World (song)
For the song by Queensrÿche, see Real World "Real World" is the fourth single off Matchbox Twenty's debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You....
", "Back 2 Good
Back 2 Good
"Back 2 Good" is a song by Matchbox Twenty, released as the fifth single from their multi-platinum debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. This song would prove to be their biggest hit from this album according to the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at number 24 in 1998...
", "Bent
Bent (song)
"Bent" is the first single from Mad Season, the second album by the rock band Matchbox Twenty. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 22, 2000, and stayed there for one week before being unseated by 'N Sync's "It's Gonna Be Me"....
", "If You're Gone
If You're Gone
"If You're Gone" is the title of a song by the rock band Matchbox Twenty. It was the second single off Mad Season. The song, written by Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, became a hit on adult contemporary radio, spending two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
", "Mad Season
Mad Season (song)
"Mad Season" is the title-track and third single off Matchbox Twenty's second album, Mad Season. The song peaked to #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #76 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background and writing:...
", "Disease
Disease (song)
"Disease" is the first single from Matchbox Twenty's third album, More Than You Think You Are. It was co-written by Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas and The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger...
", "Unwell
Unwell
"Unwell" is the second single from Matchbox Twenty's third album, More Than You Think You Are. It was written by Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. It was very successful on the radio, spending 20 weeks at the top of the U.S...
", "Bright Lights", and "How Far We've Come
How Far We've Come
"How Far We've Come" is the lead single from Matchbox Twenty's retrospective collection, Exile on Mainstream, which was released on October 2, 2007. The music video premiered on VH1's Top 20 Countdown on September 1, 2007. The CD single comes with two live covers as B-sides; "Remedy" by The Black...
". In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
awarded Thomas its first Starlight Award, recognizing young songwriters who have already had a lasting influence in the music industry.
...Something to Be and Matchbox Twenty reunion
On April 19, 2005, after nearly 10 years with Matchbox TwentyMatchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
, Thomas began his solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career with the release of …Something to Be which shot to #1 on the album chart. This marked the first time a male artist from a rock and/or pop group had debuted at number one with his first solo album since the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
was introduced 50 years prior. His first single off this album, "Lonely No More
Lonely No More
"Lonely No More" is the first single from Rob Thomas's debut album, …Something to Be. It became his second big solo hit and his biggest solo hit to date. The song peaked inside the Top 10 at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #11 in the UK...
", reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. The single debuted in the Top 10 of the Australian ARIAnet singles chart on the week of April 4, 2005. The second single, "This Is How a Heart Breaks
This Is How a Heart Breaks
"This Is How a Heart Breaks" is the second single from Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas's debut album, …Something to Be. Released in 2005 the single peaked at #52 in the USA becoming Thomas's 3rd Top Hot 100 entry.-Song information:...
", (used during a majority of telecasts for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's coverage of the NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
), was not as successful, but the third single, "Ever The Same
Ever the Same
"Ever the Same" is the third single from Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas's debut album, ...Something to Be. The song has been certified gold by the RIAA and has been used in commercials for NBA Cares.-Music video:...
", went gold and became a top-five Adult Contemporary hit.
As a solo act, Thomas made several significant appearances. On July 2, 2005, Thomas appeared at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia
Live 8 concert, Philadelphia
On 2 July 2005, a Live 8 concert was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with a densely packed audience stretched out for one mile along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway...
, singing a solo set and "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
. He also appeared on the September 10, 2005 MTV Katrina Relief Concert. On October 5, 2005, he started his first solo tour, the Something to Be Tour
Something to Be Tour
The Something to Be Tour is the debut concert tour by American recording artist and Matchbox Twenty frontman, Rob Thomas. Visiting numerous countries in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, the tour supported his first solo record, ...Something to Be. The tour began in April 2005, shortly...
. In the summer of 2006, Thomas toured with Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
and Toby Lightman
Toby Lightman
Toby Lightman is an American singer-songwriter. Her first album, Little Things, was released in 2004 on Lava/Atlantic. Her second album, Bird on a Wire was released in 2006. During her career, she has toured and performed with bands such as OAR, Rob Thomas, Jewel, Gavin DeGraw, Train, Prince, and...
.
In September 2006, Thomas's solo effort received more exposure when ABC started using the song "Streetcorner Symphony
Streetcorner Symphony
"Streetcorner Symphony" is the fifth single from Rob Thomas's solo album …Something to Be. It was released on October 16, 2006. The song features John Mayer on lead guitar and backing vocals ....
" in promotional ads for its popular Thursday night lineup. This song was subsequently released as a single.
In January 2007, Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders
Little Wonders
"Little Wonders" is a 2007 song by Rob Thomas recorded for Disney's animated feature Meet the Robinsons. It is the second single from the Meet the Robinsons soundtrack. It is featured on the film's soundtrack, is featured in the ending of the film itself, and has been released as a single.So far,...
" from the soundtrack to the Disney animated feature, Meet the Robinsons
Meet the Robinsons
Meet the Robinsons is a 2007 American computer-animated family film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 30, 2007. The forty-seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, the film was released in both the United States and the...
. "Little Wonders" reached #5 on the Mediabase Hot Adult Contemporary chart. Thomas was featured on the June 14, 2007 episode of the long-running PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series Soundstage
Soundstage (TV program)
Soundstage is an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and HD Ready. The original series aired for 13 seasons between 1974 and 1985; a new series of seasons began in 2003, with the latest running through summer 2009, each presented in high definition with surround...
.
In 2007, Thomas and his band Matchbox Twenty released another album entitled Exile on Mainstream
Exile on Mainstream
The Best Buy version of the CD has the following bonus tracks, which are also on the "How Far We've Come" CD single:-Charts:-Singles:-References:...
. The album was a two-disc set with one disc featuring the band's greatest hits to date and the second disc featuring six new songs. The album released three singles: "How Far We've Come", "All Your Reasons", and "These Hard Times".
Also in 2009, Rob Thomas and Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
began a collaboration due to popular demand to appear on Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
's eighth album. The song is described as reggae.
Cradlesong
On September 15, 2008, Thomas told Billboard.com the new album would tentatively be called Cradle Songs. Thomas characterized the album as "the usual mish-mosh of styles, but hopefully just holding true to a bunch of good songs." with the article also mentioning that the record would nonetheless feature several tracks that "take a more global, rhythmic direction after working with South American and African percussionists." Thomas explained one such experiment:On February 25, 2009, it was announced via Fox News that Thomas would be releasing his second solo record Cradlesong in May 2009. It was mentioned, in addition, that there were "at least four hot singles awaiting radio play including 'Her Diamonds' and 'Someday'."
On the same day, Thomas announced on his official website that he had been "back and forth to Los Angeles quite a bit, mixing the new record." However, he denied the album would be released in May, mentioning it "looks like it won't be coming until the last week of June or the first week of July."
On March 2, 2009, Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
interviewed Thomas, where he confirmed he had since shelved his initial efforts to evoke The Rhythm of the Saints, and claimed the album was scheduled for a June 30 release. Having played half the forthcoming album to Entertainment Weekly, it was reported that many of the lyrics on Cradlesong centered around troubled relationships, and three more song titles were revealed: "Meltdown" (described as "INXS-esque power pop" that stood out as "a possible first single"), "Fire on the Mountain" (an "epic, tribal drum-driven" track inspired by Dave Eggers' book What Is the What) and "Getting Late" (suggested as the "set's likely closer" and what Thomas described as "a little ditty about death.").
On March 11, 2009, Rob Thomas started his own Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account and announced via the social application that "Her Diamonds
Her Diamonds
"Her Diamonds" is the lead single from Rob Thomas's second studio album Cradlesong.Thomas confirmed the single's release via a Twitter account he had created on March 11, 2009. The single premiered on April 22, preceding the release of Cradlesong on June 30...
" would be the lead single from Cradlesong.
Thomas has also stated via Twitter that Cradlesong
Cradlesong
Cradlesong is the second solo studio album by the Matchbox Twenty lead-singer Rob Thomas, released on June 30, 2009 by Atlantic Records. The album's first single "Her Diamonds" was a success around the world, while reaching number three in Australia and topping the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks...
had been mastered and featured fourteen tracks culled from the twenty-four songs recorded during the album sessions. All twenty-four tracks were fully mixed and mastered, leaving plenty of material left over for B-sides, iTunes, or EPs.
On May 21, 2009, Thomas performed "Her Diamonds
Her Diamonds
"Her Diamonds" is the lead single from Rob Thomas's second studio album Cradlesong.Thomas confirmed the single's release via a Twitter account he had created on March 11, 2009. The single premiered on April 22, preceding the release of Cradlesong on June 30...
" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
.
On June 9, 2009, Thomas released "Give Me The Meltdown
Give Me the Meltdown
"Give Me the Meltdown" is a song released from Rob Thomas' second album, Cradlesong.It was released to the iTunes Store on June 9, 2009. It peaked at #106 on the Billboard Hot 100 with digital sales only...
" on US iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Similarly, "Someday
Someday (Rob Thomas song)
"Someday" is a song released from Rob Thomas' second album, Cradlesong. It was released as the album's third single in September 2009 only in digital format, and followed as a physical release in December 2009...
" was released on June 16. On June 22, Cradlesong was made available for streaming only on the we7 website, one week ahead of its UK release date.
Thomas promoted the album with his 2009/2010 tour, Cradlesong Tour
Cradlesong Tour
The Cradlesong Tour is the second solo concert tour by Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas. The tour supported his second studio album, Cradlesong and the digital EP, Someday EP. The tour primarily visited North America and Australia...
.
In March 2010, Thomas announced plans to release a four song digital only EP entitled Someday EP. Featuring three new songs, the EP will be available on iTunes starting March 30, 2010, and all other digital retailers April 6, 2010.
In June 2010, Thomas was the special guest on Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates . Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best blue eyed soul singers...
's monthly internet concert series "Live From Daryl's House". They performed the Matchbox 20 hits "3 AM" and "Disease", as well as Thomas's solo songs "Someday" and "Ever The Same". They also performed Hall and Oates hits "She's Gone" and "Kiss On My List
Kiss on My List
"Kiss on My List" is a 1981 song recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It was the third single from their album Voices, and became their second Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in 1981 ....
", and the Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
classic "I Heard It Through The Grapevine
I Heard It through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...
".
In addition to his music career, Thomas also made a guest appearance playing himself and with Sinbad
Sinbad (entertainer)
David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,...
on the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
. He is also a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
.
Personal life
He was born Robert Thomas in LandstuhlLandstuhl
Landstuhl , literally translating as "country-throne", is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is home to the Sickinger Schloss, a small castle. It is situated on the north-western edge...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
on Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
to parents serving in the U.S. Army, who moved the family place to place around the world. Thomas' parents divorced while he was very young, at which point his father retired and disconnected from the family. He and his siblings spent much time with their mother in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
and with their grandparents in Manning, South Carolina
Manning, South Carolina
Manning is a city in South Carolina and the county seat of Clarendon County in the Southeastern United States, located in the center of the county, just to the east of Interstate 95 and at the intersection of U.S. 301 and U.S. 521. The population was estimated to be 3,943 as of 2008, down 2% from...
where he later dropped out of high school in the twelfth grade at the age of 17. He has since earned his G.E.D. Thomas and his wife Marisol Maldonado married on October 2, 1999 and currently live in Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco is a community that is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,877 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. The couple also have a home on Lake Marion
Lake Marion (South Carolina)
Lake Marion is the largest lake in South Carolina, centrally located and with territory within five counties. The lake is referred to as South Carolina's inland sea. It has a shoreline and covers nearly 110,000 acres of rolling farmlands, former marshes, and river valley landscape...
in Manning, South Carolina. Thomas has a son named Maison (born July 10, 1998) from a previous relationship. The Thomas' are committed animal lovers and supporters of animal charities. Rob and his wife have established the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization created to help needy people in and around America’s big cities by partnering with various charities to assist people who get lost in the system, those who cannot afford medical care, and animals that have been abandoned or abused. Politically, Thomas considers himself a "fairly liberal
Modern American liberalism
Modern American liberalism is a form of liberalism developed from progressive ideals such as Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, John F. Kennedy's New Frontier, and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. It combines social liberalism and...
guy," and has written in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage on the blog The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
.
Rob Thomas considers himself to be from Orlando, Florida where he got his break into the business.
Discography
- ...Something to Be...Something to Be...Something to Be is the debut solo album from the Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. The album was released in 2005, and it debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, knocking out Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi...
(2005) - CradlesongCradlesongCradlesong is the second solo studio album by the Matchbox Twenty lead-singer Rob Thomas, released on June 30, 2009 by Atlantic Records. The album's first single "Her Diamonds" was a success around the world, while reaching number three in Australia and topping the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks...
(2009)
See also
- Matchbox TwentyMatchbox TwentyMatchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart