This year at Busch Gardens’ Real Music, Real Masters Concert Series, only one name has been performing for over fifty years: (No, the current lineup of The Diamonds does not count) Crooner B.J Thomas’ timeless music of many a genre is honestly a staple of 1960s contemporary rock. The Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head hitmaker has not played a show in Florida since an appearance at Ruth Eckerd Hall in 2014, though he used to be a frequent over at Epcot.
This year, however, he felt like trying a different theme park to share his unchanged vocals with.
Thomas’ 1:30 show at the Stanleyville Theatre was his eighth hour-long show this week, and he’s still got two more Saturday and Sunday. But even a packed schedule wasn’t gonna bring the crooner’s energy levels down. Sporting a black blazer with a red handkerchief, the curly-haired musical veteran ambled out onstage, flashing thumbs-ups and waves. Immediately, his seven-piece band, featuring a three-man horn section, kicked into his recognizable cover of The Beach Boys’ Don’t Worry Baby, high notes and all.
“I kinda lost track of what I was doing…impeachment’s on my mind!” he confessed during his “thanks for coming” remarks only one song in. He broke straight into hits mode, starting off with his country lament, Whatever Happened To Old-Fashioned Love, followed by a heart-melting rendition of Rock And Roll Lullaby. That was when BJ’s first story came in: It was recorded in New York in the 70s, “when music was still good.” The bulk of the audience was mostly over the age of 55, so guess what their reaction was? You’re right, thunderous hysterics and applause.
Of course, what’s a BJ Thomas set without I Just Can’t Help Believing? Or Hooked On A Feeling? Hell, what about an audience serenade of (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song? Here’s the outrageous part: You would think that at the age of 77, there are some notes that BJ used to be able to hit that he can’t anymore. Generally, if that’s the case, you have to transpose the songs down a key or two or three. Not this guy. Practically everything BJ dusted off was sung in the original key, with maybe only a little bit of improv from the backing band. The stories he would tell, on the other hand, were wild to say the least.
At the age of eight, he got to see Hank Williams Sr. drunk at a Grand Ole Opry show. “He was…having himself a great time. I didn’t understand at that age that he….was having himself a great time,” BJ recalled. Once he finished up a stirring a cappella rendition of the gospel tune Peace In The Valley, he dove right into a story about his friendship with songwriting legend Burt Bacharach, who wrote the former’s next song on the setlist, the instantly discernible Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head. Apparently, he’s still alive and kickin’, and the two recently reunited to recreate the bicycle scene from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid.
Wrapping up his surprisingly long set was (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher, as a tribute to one of BJ’s heroes, Jackie Wilson, who died in 1984, preceded by an anecdote about himself opening for The Godfather Of Soul, James Brown. “His audience was pretty rough,” BJ said. James then came out, and told the crowd how the two had just met that day at soundcheck. “I want you to be good to him” were his words. Yep, The Godfather Of Soul, who was known for fining his backup band for screwing up a note or two onstage, stood up for his opening act.
Clearly, the respect Brown had for him was mutual all across BJ’s adoring crowds, and will, hopefully, remain that way, even after his touring career.
Josh Bradley Live 