Hersal Thomas, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Hersal Thomas

American songwriter

Date of Birth: 09-Sep-1906

Place of Birth: Houston, Texas, United States

Date of Death: 02-Jun-1926

Profession: composer, pianist, songwriter

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Virgo


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About Hersal Thomas

  • Hersal Thomas (September 9, 1906 – June 2, 1926) was an American blues pianist and composer.
  • He recorded a number of sides for Okeh Records in 1925 and 1926. Thomas was born in Houston, Texas, United States, and displayed an early talent for blues playing and composition.
  • He was one of several musicians in his family.
  • His brother George Washington Thomas was also a skilled piano player and composer, while his sister Sippie Wallace and niece Hociel Thomas were singers of note.Though he died at a young age, Thomas was nonetheless an influence on the Chicago boogie woogie school of pianists.
  • Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis both cited him as an influence.
  • His most famous track was "Suitcase Blues" (8958-A Okeh 8227), which was issued on CD in 1992 as part of the box set, Roots 'N Blues: The Retrospective.
  • The Thomas brothers also co-wrote "The Fives", which Ammons and Lewis cited as an essential boogie-woogie number.Thomas recorded under his own name, and as an accompanist to Hociel Thomas, Sippie Wallace, Lilian Miller and possibly, Sodarisa Miller.
  • In 1926, he recorded a session with Hociel Thomas and Louis Armstrong.
  • The songs recorded on that occasion were "Deep Water Blues" (9519-A Okeh 8297), "Lonesome Hours" (9522-A Okeh 8297), "Listen To Ma" (9521-A Okeh 8346), and "G'wan, I Told You" (9520-A Okeh 8346).
  • The first three are listed as having been composed by "Thomas", though it is not clear if this refers to Hersal or his brother.
  • He also worked in session with King Oliver. Sippie Wallace recorded seven of his compositions: "A Jealous Woman Like Me", "A Man For Every Day Of The Week", "Dead Drunk Blues", "Have You Ever Been Down?", "I Feel Good", "Shorty George Blues" and "Trouble Everywhere I Roam". Thomas died of food poisoning while working at Penny's Pleasure Inn in Detroit, Michigan.
  • The circumstances of his death have never been clarified.

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