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Earl Thomas

The name Earl Thomas has become legend in San Francisco music circles. His irresistible mix of "Blues and Broadway" holds the top spot on the entertainment roster of the renowned San Francisco musical landmark Biscuits & Blues. An internationally respected artist, he is also an award winning songwriter, scoring hits for Etta James, Solomon Burke, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green and Janiva Magness. And most recently, Tom Jones' outstanding cover of "Git Me Some" is a Youtube sensation. Earl Thomas is the show not to miss!
His dynamic stage show described as one part Sam Cooke, one part Otis Redding, one part Al Green, and ten parts Earl Thomas has been impressing audiences around the world for over a decade. His direct approach and engaging personality has seen him opening shows for Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Etta James, B. B. King, India.Arie and Ike Turner. He's performed at top music festivals including the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, has released eleven critically acclaimed CDs, and has songs currently in two feature films.
The die was cast long ago for Earl Thomas who, born into a musical family in east Tennessee grew up surrounded by music. "Ours was your typical musical family," he says. "All of us either sang or played an instrument." His mother was a gospel singer and his father a blues guitarist. Thomas was raised with a wealth of blues, rock & roll, and gospel music, from Muddy Waters to Otis Redding and Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha, Tina, Gladys, and all the Stax Records; the artists and repertoire that he refers to as "the language of our people". He was also turned on to rock & roll. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin helped shape his musical personality. "I actually started out wanting to be a rock singer like Mick Jagger," says the artist known around the world as The Blues Ambassador, "and I think that this is what makes my sound so unique."
Earl Thomas recorded his first album Blue ... Not Blues for Bizarre Records in 1991 which included an original song, "I Sing the Blues". The tune, described by Earl as "my autobiography" caught the attention of Montreux Jazz Festival impresario and founder Claude Nabs who passed it on to Jerry Wexler who proceeded to cut it with Etta James who kicked off her 1994 Elektra Records release, The Right Time with the track.