Career
Born to George West. Thomas, Senior and Fannie Bradley just outside the Delta town of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The combination of the Delta blues, jazz, and gospel sounds from the Arkansas Delta Lowlands made a lasting impression on him even as his proclivity for the piano began to develop early. By the time he was 15, his family moved to Houston, Texas where the east Texas barrelhouse style of blues/jazz further influenced him and his music
Williams attributed the origin of the boogie woogie piano style to Thomas.
Thomas was certainly among its earliest important exponents. "New Orleans Hop Scop Blues", published in 1916, is claimed to be the first twelve-bar blues to be written with a boogie-woogie bass line.
With brother Hersal, he also copyrighted "The Fives" in 1921, a classic later performed by many pianists.
