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Jay Thomas

 
Artist: Jay Thomas
 
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Worked With:

Gary Gibson, Mike Strickland, John Goforth
  • Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Jazz
  • Instrument: Trumpet, Sax (Tenor)
  • Representative Albums: "Song for Rita," "Rapture," "Live at Tula's, Vol. 2"

Biography

Encouraged to pursue a musical career by a father who played jazz trumpet before turning to pharmacy, Jay Thomas has become a major multiinstrumentalist, equally at home on both brass and reeds. He started on trumpet, but while playing in dance bands that often had a tenor-trumpet front line requiring him to practice regularly with a tenor player, Thomas, on a whim, borrowed the sax and tried it out. Within a month he was playing gigs on tenor and picked up alto and soprano along the way. Thomas took up the flute while living in Boston because he wasn't allowed to practice on any of his other instruments in his apartment.

On the scene since the 1960's, Thomas began his career playing in Rhythm and Blues bands. In 1968, after moving to New York City, he studied with Carmen Caruso and gigged with such outfits as Machito's band where he got an on-the-job education in Latin rhythm from lead trumpet player, Mario Bauza. During the 1970''s, Thomas resided in San Francisco where he worked with West Coast favorite Jessica Williams, among others. Returning to Seattle in the 1980's where his father had opened a jazz club, Thomas became a member of the house band sitting with such jazz greats as Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt and Chet Baker.

Thomas has guested on over 50 recordings, including sessions with Barney McClure, Slim Galliard, Herb Ellis, Milo Peterson, David Friesen and singers Katie King and Becca Duran. He continues to be in demand as a sideman not only because of his facility with several instruments, but also due to his ease in playing in groups representing diverse jazz genre, from swing to acid jazz.

Thomas has 5 albums as a leader, one each for the McVouty, Jazz Focus, Hep, Stash and Discovery labels. He was the winner of the 1996 Golden Ear Award for Best Instrumentalist, sharing the honor with bass player Phil Sparks.

Thomas still lives in Seattle where he plays with a number of Northwestbased jazz groups and tours regularly with his wife, singer Becca Duran ~ Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
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Actor: Jay Thomas
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Jul 12, 1948 in Kermit, Texas
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-'90s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
  • Career Highlights: Mr. Holland's Opus, Killing Mr. Griffin, My Date With the President's Daughter
  • First Major Screen Credit: Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

Biography

A character actor who specialized in upbeat, energetic everymen (often with a strong romantic angle), Jay Thomas made his most enduring mark on U.S. television sitcoms during the mid- to late '80s and early '90s. A native of Kermit, TX, Thomas kick-started his career as a standup comedian in the American South, with a particularly strong emphasis on French Quarter comedy clubs in New Orleans, LA. He achieved his big television break in the late '70s thanks to Mork & Mindy show creator Garry Marshall, who cast him as deli owner Remo DaVinci on that blockbuster program just as its ratings were beginning to slide; Thomas remained with it for two seasons, from 1979-1981. Following little-seen movie roles in films such as 1984's C.H.U.D. and 1985's The Gig (a particularly colorful part as an obnoxious entertainer), Thomas returned to series television in a big way, first with a recurring role on Cheers, as Eddie LeBec, the ne'er-do-well, washed-up hockey player husband of saucy barmaid Carla (Rhea Perlman) -- a role he held from 1987-1989 (which ended with the character being run over by a Zamboni machine!).

Thomas followed up his Cheers part with two additional key sitcom roles: the lead role of New York Post columnist Jack Stein -- the romantic sparring partner of Wally Porter (Susan Dey) -- on Love & War (1992-1995), and (in a less frequently seen but equally memorable performance) Jerry Gold, one of the paramours of Candice Bergen's acerbic title character, on Murphy Brown -- a role that lasted for nine years. (Both programs were produced by Diane English.) When Brown folded in 1998, Thomas moved back into features, essaying supporting roles in such films as Last Chance (1999), Dragonfly (2002), and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
 
Wikipedia: Jay Thomas
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the American rugby league player, see Jay Thomas (rugby league).
Jay Thomas
Born July 12, 1948 (1948-07-12) (age 60)
Kermit, Texas, United States

Jay Thomas (born July 12, 1948) is an American actor and disc jockey.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Thomas was born Jon Thomas Terrell in Kermit, Texas, the son of Katharine "Kathy" (née Guzzino) and T. Harry Terrell, Sr.[1] He was raised in New Orleans, where he attended Jesuit High School, New Orleans. He and his wife Sally live in Southern California and are parents to two sons, Samuel and Jacob. Jay fathered a son years earlier with another woman and gave the child up for adoption. Jay and his son John Harding have spoken about their reunion on the Dr. Phil show. John Harding is the lead singer of the band JTX. [2]

Career

Television

Thomas is perhaps best known for his recurring roles. The first on the sitcom Mork and Mindy, on which he played Remo DaVinci, the Italian deli-owner, from 1979 until 1981. He then played the hockey-player-turned-travelling-ice show-skater second husband, Eddie LeBec, of Carla on Cheers (1987-1989). He also appeared on Murphy Brown as a tabloid talk show host, Jerry Gold, who was also one of Murphy's love interests (1989-1998). Thomas won Emmy Awards in 1990 and 1991 for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" for his portrayal of Jerry Gold on Murphy Brown.

Thomas also starred in the short-lived 1990 show Married People. Thomas played Russell Myers, a writer who worked at home who was married to a high powered lawyer (played by Bess Armstrong). When his wife had a baby, Thomas' character became a househusband.

He later starred in the 1992-1995 sitcom Love & War (with Susan Dey then Annie Potts) and in the short-lived 1996 Ted Danson-Mary Steenburgen sitcom Ink. In Summer of 1994, He co-host with Lisa Hartman Black a TV special celebrating 30th anniversary of Universal Studios called "Universal Studios Summer Blast"[3]. He also had the bad luck to host Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, a controversial one-night special on Fox in February 2000 that featured Darva Conger and Rick Rockwell.

Thomas has also knocked the holiday meatball off of the Christmas Tree for The Late Show with David Letterman almost every year since 1998. (Dave knocked it off in 2004 and 2006.) Each year he also tells his "Lone Ranger Story" which involves him and his friend having to give Clayton Moore a ride home from a radio station promotion at a car dealership while high on marijuana.

In 2008, Thomas was featured on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the "expert" available via Skype for the Ask the Expert lifeline. The week he was "expert" he got every single question he was asked right.

Film

His many roles include playing the football coach and best friend of the lead character in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) and Hal in the Kevin Costner-film Dragonfly (2002). He also appeared as the Easter Bunny in Disney's The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3.

Radio

Thomas began his career as a disc jockey in the late 1960s while attending Gulf Coast Junior College in Panama City, Florida, working part-time at several local Panama City stations. He also worked the clubs as a crossdresser. His stated goal at that time was to be a stand-up comic. He later worked the 7-midnight shift at WBSR in Pensacola, Florida, a station which was a stepping stone for a number of radio personalities who went on to bigger and better things. He hit the big time at WAPE ("The Big Ape") in Jacksonville, Florida and then moved on to Charlotte, North Carolina where he was the morning drive DJ at BIG WAYS-AM and WROQ-FM in the 1970s and 1980s. Thomas then worked as a radio DJ in New York City and resided in Connecticut with his wife, Sally and their 3 sons. Jay was probably best remembered for being the Morning Host on 92.3 WKTU. He would be replaced by Howard Stern when the format of WKTU was changed to classic rock and the station took on call letters WXRK and station name K-ROCK. This would become the launching pad for Stern's syndicated network. There are apparently no hard feelings between the two and Thomas has since made several appearances on Howard Stern's show.

After WKTU flipped formats Thomas was hired by then new Rhythmic Top 40 upstart KPWR/Los Angeles in 1986 as their new morning host, which is where he would enjoy a successful run. In 1992 Thomas left KPWR due to the changes in station management and a musical shift towards Hip-Hop, which would have felt out of place for Thomas. He would return to New York in the late 1990s as the host of the morning show on WTJM, which had just changed its format to Jammin' Oldies after many years as an adult contemporary station. He would leave the station just before it, like KPWR in Los Angeles, shifted formats to hip hop.

He currently hosts The Jay Thomas Show[4] M-TH 3pm - 6pm on Sirius XM Stars Too (SIRIUS channel 108, XM channel 139), a channel on the SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio service. Jay has numerous co-hosts on his show including Madison[5], Rodney Lee Conover [6] and Shuli [7]. Jay is now a Chip and Pepper expert. On March 5, 2008 Howard Stern announced that Jay would be doing a live morning show on Howard 101 from 7 AM to 10 AM on Friday mornings. In addition to that show, he hosts the Saturday 8 AM-noon slot on Sirius XM's 70s on 7 channel.

He resides in Santa Barbara with his family. He owns homes in New Orleans, one of which was destroyed by flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina. Jay is well remembered for his stint at 99X, well before 92.3 KTU. His slogan when he ran for office in Charlotte, NC was 'the best politician money can buy.'

Professional

Thomas used to invest in retail food chain stores, including Blimpie. He would buy real estate when he would get a big pay day during his acting career. His latest venture is a US$3.5 million property on Cresta Avenue.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Jay Thomas Biography (1944-)
  2. ^ http://www.usmagazine.com/emmy-award-winning-actor-discovers-he-has-a-son
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ The Jay Thomas Show - Home
  5. ^ Madison
  6. ^ Rodney Lee Conover
  7. ^ Shuli

External links

v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series

Roscoe Lee Browne (1986) · John Cleese (1987) · Cleavon Little (1989) · Jay Thomas (1990) · Jay Thomas (1991) · David Clennon (1993) · Martin Sheen (1994) · Carl Reiner (1995) · Tim Conway (1996) · Mel Brooks (1997) · Mel Brooks (1998) · Mel Brooks (1999) · Bruce Willis (2000)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jay Thomas".  Read more

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