B. J. Thomas (Billy Joe Thomas, b. August 7, 1942, in Hugo, Oklahoma) is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s.

B.J. Thomas (born Billy Joe Thomas) straddled the line between pop/rock and country, achieving success in both genres in the late ’60s and ’70s. At the beginning of his career, he leaned more heavily on rock & roll, but by the mid-’70s, he had turned to country music, becoming one of the most successful country-pop stars of the decade. Thomas began singing while he was a child, performing in church. In his teens, he joined the Houston-based band the Triumphs, who released a number of indep