Rob Thomas

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Rob Thomas is an American pop-rock artist, songwriter, the former lead singer for the bands Tabitha's Secret and Matchbox Twenty and has started his successful solo career in 2005. He became well-known when he co-wrote for Carlos Santana's comeback album Supernatural and sang Smooth as the lead single of the album. It became a gigantic hit in 1999 and earned him three Grammys for the single. He has a son named Maison Avery Williams from former relationship and now he has been married since 1999 to Marisol Maldonado.


Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas

Contents

[edit] About

Robert Kelly Thomas was born on 14th of February 1972 on an Army base in Landstuhl, Germany. His parents are divorced. He spent most of his childhood between his grandmother in South Carolina and his mother in Florida. He attended Lake Brantley High School in Florida but dropped out at the age of 17 to pursue his love for music. He began singing in pickup rock bands before landing in Orlando in 1993 where he helped form the band Tabitha's Secret with bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette who later became Matchbox 20 with guitarists Adam Gaynor and Kyle Cook.


Matchbox 20 became very successful that their first album Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996 had gone 5x platinum by 1998, selling over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone. The famous singles are: Push, 3 A.M., Real World, Long Day, and Back 2 Good.


Before they recorded their second album, Mad Season, Rob Thomas co-wrote Carlos Santana's comeback album in 1999, with Itaal Shur. They released the Grammy award-winning single Smooth. The single spent 12 weeks at the number 1 spot and was named as the top hit of the entire rock era in the Billboard charts.


Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty

The following year, Matchbox 20 renamed themselves to Matchbox Twenty and the same year they released their second album. Singles off the album are Bent, If You're Gone (which became a big hit) followed by Last Beautiful Girl and Angry.


In 2002, their third album More Than You Think You Are is another success with its chart topping hits like Disease, Unwell and Bright Lights which ruled the charts for 20 weeks in 2003.


After the years of touring, the band's guitarist, Adam Gaynor left the group in February 2005, allowing other members of the band to pursue side projects including Rob Thomas who released his first solo album ...Something To Be], on April 19, 2005. It also marked the first time a male artist has debuted at number 1 in the Billboard, and it is higher than any of Matchbox Twenty's three albums. His first single, Lonely No More reached number 6 but the second single This Is How A Heart Breaks is not as successful as the aforementioned single. The third single Ever The Same is another success and it became a top five Adult Contemporary hit.


He started his solo tour on October 2005 and recently he has been touring with Jewel in May 2006 starting in Florida and around the Southeastern United States. In 2006, he released his singles Something To Be and Streetcorner Symphony where the latter was used for ABC's promotional ads for Six Degrees, Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy.


[edit] Awards & Certifications

Year Award Category Single
2000 Grammy Awards Record of the Year Smooth
Grammy Awards Song of the Year Smooth
Grammy Awards Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Smooth

[edit] Nominations

Year Award Category
2006 American Music Awards Adult Contemporary

[edit] Chart Toppers

Year Title Billboard Hot 100 US Adult Contemporary UK singles AUS NZ CAN Album
1999 Smooth ( Carlos Santana featuring Rob Thomas ) 1 11 3 1 Supernatural
2005 Lonely No More 6 1 11 3 9 1 ...Something To Be
This Is How A Heart Breaks 52 25 67 13 24 25 ...Something To Be
Ever The Same 48 5 ~ 29 ~ 5 ...Something To Be
2006 Something To Be ~ ~ ~ 40 ~ ~ ...Something To Be
Streetcorner Symphony 72 30 ...Something To Be

[edit] News

[edit] Tours & Concerts

There are no tours to date

[edit] Announcements

  • Rob Thomas gave Wal-Mart's Soundcheck program an exclusive interview where he discussed the album Cradlesong in anticipation for its release. The interview can be seen at Walmart Soundcheck and it also features photos from the interview as well.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

Year Title Album
1999 Smooth (US CD/Cassette Single) Arista
2003 New York Christmas Atlantic/ Wea
2005 This Is How A Heart Breaks Wea International

[edit] Compilations & Live Releases

[edit] Other artists

[edit] Influences

[edit] Contemporaries

[edit] Trivia

  • He was briefly hired to be the show runner for the ABC series "Snoops" (1999), but left due to differences with producer David E. Kelley
  • Rob Thomas is the executive producer and creator of UPN's cult hit, Veronica Mars
  • His favorite sports teams: San Antonio Spurs, Texas Longhorns, Mabton High School Vikings.
  • He got to live out a longtime dream when he learned how to make sushi.
  • Among his favorite movies: Rushmore, The Big Lebowski, The Graduate, Three Kings, Bad News Bears, Raising Arizona, Say Anything
  • Among his favorite books: The Rachel Papers, High Fidelity, A Prayer for Owen Meany

[edit] Reviews

[edit] External Links

Official Site

Rob Thomas' Home Page

Fan Site

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