b. Robert Kelly Thomas, 14 February 1972, Landstuhl, West Germany. Thomas enjoyed a string of US hit singles in the late 90s and early 00s as the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, one of America's most successful mainstream rock bands of the period. Thomas was also the lead vocalist on Santana's worldwide 1999 hit, "Smooth'. He branched out into solo work during a hiatus in Matchbox Twenty activities at the start of the new millennium. Despite the presence of Matchbox Twenty producer Matt Serletic, his solo debut Something To Be moved the singer towards a more eclectic sound than the generic pop rock of the parent band with the use of discrete electronics and drum loops. Thomas" ability to craft big radio choruses was still in evidence, however, most notably on the US Top 10 hit "Lonely No More". Further hits with "This Is How A Heart Breaks" and "Ever The Same" followed, and the album debuted at the top of the US mainstream chart in April 2005.
In January 2007, Thomas enjoyed a notable radio hit with the single "Little Wonders", taken from the soundtrack of the Disney feature Meet The Robinsons.
DISCOGRAPHY: Something To Be (Atlantic 2005)***.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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