The John Charles Thomas Show

John Charles Thomas
(1891 – 1960)

"Sit back and listen to lush orchestrations and the decadent, rich tones of John Charles Thomas."

John Charles Thomas was gifted with what is (perhaps too) colloquially referred to as a great set of pipes. The Metropolitan Opera baritone is known as one of the great baritones of the 20th century. The Meyersdale, PA native and graduate of Baltimore's Peabody Institute began making a name for himself in the opera field in 1924. During his long tenure with the Met and with the Los Angeles Civic Orchestra, Thomas performed in productions of such shows as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Chocolate Soldier and Music in the Air.

The John Charles Thomas Show was a heaping smorgasbord of musical talents and delights, typically welcoming listeners with an angelic chorus of voices. The show was always expressly addressed to the WWII troops (the show ran from 1943-45, with isolated programs in 1946) and featured, in addition to the song stylings of Thomas, band performances, vocal performances, and narrated stories. The tone was magisterial, lovely, respectful.

The regular supporting cast was the Ken Darby Singers and Victor Young and His Orchestra. John Nesbitt often contributed stories.

This is a collection for wistful early-winter nights. Watch the sun setting in deep red, the dog asleep on the rug; enjoy some dessert and sit back and listen to lush orchestrations and the decadent, rich tones of John Charles Thomas.