Editing B. J. Thomas (section)

== Early life and education ==
Billy Joe Thomas was born in [[Hugo, Oklahoma]], on August 7, 1942. He was the son of Geneva and Vernon Thomas.<ref name="WP obit">{{cite news|title=B.J. Thomas, who sang 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,' dies at 78|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/bj-thomas-dead/2021/05/29/9c46fe42-8cad-11eb-a6bd-0eb91c03305a_story.html|first=Harrison|last=Smith|date=May 29, 2021|access-date=May 29, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/31/bj-thomas-obituary|title=BJ Thomas obituary|date=May 31, 2021|website=the Guardian|accessdate=June 2, 2021}}</ref> Thomas grew up both in and near [[Houston]]; he graduated from [[Lamar Consolidated High School]] in [[Rosenberg, Texas]].

He sang in a church choir in his teens and later joined the musical group The Triumphs<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wirt |first=John |date=February 9, 2007 |title=The music never gets old for Thomas |page=2 |work=The Advocate (Online) |url=http://www.2theadvocate.com/entertainment/music/5691606.html |access-date=February 20, 2007 |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527051127/http://www.2theadvocate.com/entertainment/music/5691606.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> with Tim Griffith (lead guitar), Tom Griffith (bass), Denver "Zeke" Zatyka (keyboards), Don Drachenberg (vocal and sax), and Ted Mensik (drums). During his senior year, Thomas made friends with [[Roy Head]] of Roy Head and The Traits. The Traits and the Triumphs held several [[Battle of the Bands]] events in the early 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|website=Texas Highways|title='I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' Hitmakers The Triumphs Call It Quits One More Time|url=https://texashighways.com/travel-news/im-so-lonesome-i-could-cry-hitmakers-the-triumphs-call-it-quits-one-more-time/|first=Nick|last=Patoski|date=December 27, 2022|access-date=December 28, 2022}}</ref>