Rob Thomas (musician): Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 17:16, 4 June 2007

Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas (born February 14, 1972) is an American pop-rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band matchbox twenty and formerly of the band Tabitha's Secret. 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 lent his songwriting talents to such artists as Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Marc Anthony, Pat Green, Taylor Hicks, and DAUGHTRY. In fact American Idol rockstar contestants Chris Daughtry and Bo Bice have stated Thomas as their favourite male singer on their American Idol webpages.

Since 1996, his band, matchbox twenty, has released a string of hit singles to radio including "Push," "3 A.M.," "Real World", "Back 2 Good," "Bent," "If You're Gone," "Disease," "Unwell" and "Bright Lights". In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Thomas its first Starlight Award, recognizing young songwriters who already have made a lasting impact in the music industry. Thomas also plays the piano and guitar.

Born on a military base in Landstuhl, Germany, Thomas was raised in South Carolina and later Florida. There he attended Lake Brantley High School. He stated his desire to become a musician at age 13. The first concert he attended was Genesis on its Invisible Touch Tour. His greatest influence was Steve Burry, another Florida musician. Thomas dropped out of high school and left his home as a teenager to pursue his goal of becoming a career musician. He later received a GED.

He married Marisol Maldonado on October 2, 1999 and has a son named Maison Avery Williams Thomas from a former relationship with Kerry Williams.

Solo career

On April 19 2005, he released a solo album, ...Something to Be. This marked the first time a male artist from a rock or pop group has debuted at number one with his first solo album since the Billboard Top 200 was introduced 50 years ago. His first single off that album, "Lonely No More," reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The aforementioned 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," which was 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.

On July 2, 2005, Thomas appeared at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. Rob also appeared on the September 10, 2005, MTV Katrina Relief Concert.

On October 5, 2005, he started his first solo tour backed by a band of talented musicians including Matt Beck and Frank Romano. The all-female band "Antigone Rising" performed in the warm-up role.

In the summer of 2006, Thomas toured with Jewel and Toby Lightman.

In September 2006, ABC started using his song "Streetcorner Symphony" in promotional ads for its Thursday night lineup of Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and Six Degrees.

In January 2007, Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders" from the soundtrack to the Disney animated feature Meet the Robinsons. As of April 22, 2007, "Little Wonders" has reached No. 5 on Mediabase Hot Adult Contemporary chart.

Discography

Albums

2005 ...Something to Be (2005) #1 U.S. (RIAA Certification: Platinum, Sales: 1.4 million), #11 UK, #1 Australia (Worldwide Sales: 3 million +)
Something More (EP) (2005)
iTunes Originals - Rob Thomas

Singles

Year	Song	U.S.	U.S. AC	U.S. Adult	U.S. Pop	UK	AUS	NZ	CAN	RIAA	Album
1999	"Smooth" (with Santana)	1	11	1	1	3	1		3	Gold	Supernatural
2005	"Lonely No More"	6	1	1	8	11	3	9	1	Gold	...Something to Be
2005	"This Is How a Heart Breaks"	52	25	3	31	67	13	24	25	Gold	...Something to Be
2005	"Ever the Same"	48	4	2	30	-	29	-	5	Gold	...Something to Be
2006	"Something to Be"	-	-	-	-	-	40	-	-		...Something to Be
2006	"Streetcorner Symphony"	64	4*	5	37	-	-	-	9		...Something to Be
2007	"Little Wonders"	58*	26*	5*	59*	-	20*	-	16		Meet the Robinsons Soundtrack

(*) indicates still in chart

Trivia

He is 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall, has blue eyes and brown hair.
His favorite authors are Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins.
He wrote the song "Dream Myself Awake" for American Idol winner Taylor Hicks' album.
His favorite TV shows are 24, Arrested Development and American Idol.
His wife Marisol appeared in the videos for Smooth and Ever the Same.
His best friend is Paul Doucette.
His two favorite matchbox twenty videos are Bent and If You're Gone.
He provided background vocals in The Gufs song Give Back Yourself; the Gufs had been on tour with matchbox twenty.
ABC advertised the first season of Desperate Housewives with Lonely No More.
Lonely No More became the most played foreign song in Australia in 2005. Thomas was honored with the Australian Music Award (APRA) because of that in June 2006.

External links

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 He has lent his songwriting talents to such artists as [[Willie Nelson]], [[Mick Jagger]], [[Marc Anthony]], [[Pat Green]], [[Taylor Hicks]], and [[Daughtry (band)|DAUGHTRY]].
 In fact [[American Idol]] rockstar contestants [[Chris Daughtry]] and [[Bo Bice]] have
-stated thomas as their favourite male singer on their american idol webpages
+stated Thomas as their favourite male singer on their American Idol webpages.
 Since [[1996]], his band, matchbox twenty, has released a string of hit singles to radio including "[[Push (song)|Push]]," "[[3 A.M.]]," "[[Real World (song)|Real World]]", "[[Back 2 Good]]," "[[Bent (song)|Bent]]," "[[If You're Gone]]," "[[Disease (song)|Disease]]," "[[Unwell]]" and "[[Bright Lights (song)|Bright Lights]]".  In [[2004]], the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] awarded Thomas its first [[Starlight Award]], recognizing young songwriters who already have made a lasting impact in the music industry.  Thomas also plays the [[piano]] and [[guitar]].