Eddie Thomas (Finding Aid)

Eddie Thomas

1931 -

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food: Vegetables

Favorite Time of Year: Anytime

Favorite Vacation Spot: Las Vegas

Interview Length: 146 minutes

Interview Date(s): August 21, 2000

Interview Location(s): Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

Record promoter Eddie Thomas shares memories of growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s, and describes his alcoholic father, his beloved mother and his stepfather, a blues singer. The young Thomas kept busy with school, odd jobs, Boy Scouts and ROTC and dreamed of a military career--a dream he abandoned when his stepfather died and he was needed to care for his mother, who suffered from athsma. Thomas stayed in Chicago where he was employed as a postal worker and a car park attendant at a nightclub. During this time he began managing two young vocal groups, the Medallionaires and the Roosters. Eddie Thomas discusses his career as a rhythm and blues music promoter in the from the late 1950s through the mid-1970s, managing the Impressions, working for ABC-Paramount, forming a record label with his friend Curtis Mayfield, and then starting his own eponymous record label and independent promotions company. Music promoter Eddie Thomas recalls his experiences with the Impressions on the road and in the studio and his friendship and business relationship with Curtis Mayfield. He also talks about his love for music promotion, comparing the stages from songwriting to hit record with watching your baby grow up. Music promoter Eddie Thomas talks about his career since the 1970s, including his split with Curtis Mayfield and his successes with his own label, Thomas Records, with independent record promotion for many of the top soul acts of the 1970s, and with the Dogs of War record pool for club deejays. He also discusses changes in technology and in legal awareness that make it less easy for record companies of today to cheat their artists in the way they did in earlier decades. Music promoter Eddie Thomas discusses his love of music, his religious faith, and his thoughts about several well known musicians he has met. Then Thomas narrates a series of photos related to his career in the music industry. Various photos of the life of Chicago music promoter Eddie Thomas are presented. There is no audio except at the end, where Thomas narrates the last photo, of himself with members of the band The Independents.

84 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)