Talk:Joe Thomas (producer)

Undone changes by employee

I have undone an edit that was completed by an employee as stated in their edit summary. Unless they have proper references to prove the information wrong, it should remain on the page. DJAustin (talk) 17:52, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

If the information were not based on published sources, providing evidence of its wrongness wouldn't be necessary. But that doesn't seem the case here. For example, Mo.butler removed the information that Thomas was a wrestler using the ring name "Buddy Love". That was reported by Rolling Stone (Spearheaded by Melinda and producer Joe Thomas, formerly a pro wrestler known as Buddy Love, the project was envisioned [...]) and the LA Times (A personable and burly former professional wrestler who "competed" under the name Buddy Love (motto: the women's pet, the men's regret), 41-year-old Thomas [...]). If Rolling Stone, the LA Times and others got that information wrong, Mo.butler shouldn't start with changing the Wikipedia content but contact the sources so that they publish corrections for their incorrect articles. When that happens, Wikipedia will of course follow suit. Until that happens, we'll take reliable published sources over the personal testimony of an employee. Huon (talk) 18:07, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

From Thomas' AllMusic profile:

Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Joe Thomas is a former wrestler who wound up grappling, so to speak, with Beach Boys maestro Brian Wilson. ... The entire subject of these Wilson tours is indeed controversial, even among Wilson's hardiest fans. The experience may have provided high visibility for Thomas' instrumental, production and co-writing skills, yet having the participants wind up in court most likely overshadows the more positive aspects of Thomas' career.

The vast majority of fans, critics, and insiders view Thomas as a misguided fellow who derailed the Beach Boys into country-pop and adult-contemporary cash-ins. And he's gotten a lot of flack for it (it's very hard to find something written about Thomas that isn't either criticism, litigation, or ad-speak). It's a shame because he had a lot of opportunities to "correct the record" in 2012 and 2015. He couldn't possibly have expected that everyone would have forgotten the disaster of Stars & Stripes and Imagination, or that critics would welcome the new auto-tuned production with open arms. --Ilovetopaint (talk) 19:38, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

Joe Thomas 2020 bio

Joe Thomas is a renowned concert film & television director and music producer. He has made an indelible mark on the music industry through four decades' worth of work with top artists and creation of unforgettable concert specials. Thomas has produced, co-produced and mixed sound for numerous Platinum and Gold Albums, CDs, and DVDs. Throughout his career, Thomas has collaborated with the biggest names in music, including: Stevie Nicks, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Chris Isaak, The Beach Boys, and many more.

In 1985, Thomas served as President and Co-Founder of River North Recorders, one of the largest full-service recording studios in the country. In addition, Thomas was president of a full-service recording label, River North Records. While president, Thomas was instrumental in signing among others: Peter Cetera, Alan Parsons, The Beach Boys, and Jim Messina along with signing and producing country music artists Holly Dunn, Steve Kolander, Ronna Reeves, and Steve Azar. During this time, Thomas also served as President of Platinum Entertainment which was named one of the fastest 500 Growing Companies by Inc. Magazine in 1996. Later that year, Thomas left to collaborate and co-produce Imagination, the third solo album by legendary artist, Brian Wilson, released on Giant Records. The first single from that album, "Your Imagination", was co-written by Thomas and became a top-ten adult contemporary hit. Imagination is Wilson's best-selling solo album to date.

In 2001, Thomas co-founded Kurtis HD Partners, along with renowned television journalist, Bill Kurtis, and Chicago radio personality, Steve Dahl. Kurtis HD Partners specialized in capturing footage utilizing the newly-emerging high-definition format. The following year, Thomas partnered with Dahl in a new company, HD Ready, and began co-producing a high-definition version of the classic PBS series, Soundstage, with WTTW Chicago. To date, Thomas has produced and directed over 100 episodes of the series.

In addition, Thomas has produced and directed a multitude high-profile concert specials for movie theaters and television, including: Fleetwood Mac: Live in Boston, Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D, Bon Jovi's Lost Highway: The Concert, Dave Matthews: Weekend on the Rocks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Live From Gainesville, Josh Groban - Bridges Live: Madison Square Garden, Faith Hill: Joy to the World, George Jones & Friends 50th Anniversary Tribute Concert, and The Rocky Mountain Way featuring Garth Brooks and Joe Walsh. Additionally, in 2009, Thomas directed and produced 13 episodes of the acclaimed concert series Front Row Center (later re-titled Front and Center).

In 2012, Thomas was instrumental in orchestrating the 50th reunion of the surviving Beach Boys - Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks. The reunion included the album That's Why God Made the Radio, which debuted at number 3 on the Top-200 Billboard charts. This was the highest-charting Beach Boys album since 1965. Thomas co-wrote all but one track on the album, and was highly involved in all aspects of production. The tour that followed spanned over 70 dates worldwide and was one of the highest-grossing tours of 2012. Two years later, Thomas co-produced and co-wrote with Brian Wilson the follow-up solo album, No Pier Pressure, along with the television special, Brian Wilson: Live from the Venetian Theatre, featuring an array of exciting guest artists, including Nate Ruess of Fun, Zooey Deschanel, and multi Grammy-award winner, Kacey Musgraves.

In 2014, Thomas signed on as Senior VP of Audio/Visual at BMG Music. He continues to work with many of the major artists from past collaborations as well as some of today's hottest stars, such as Josh Groban and Idina Menzel. Thomas still resides in Illinois and continues to produce and direct a number of projects, several of which are currently in production for 2020 - starring artists such as Chaka Khan, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar, and the famed acapella group, Straight No Chaser. — Preceding unsigned comment added by LOrricoPR (talk • contribs) 14:43, 28 May 2020 (UTC)

Wrestling career

I've removed the reference to him being a wrestler as there is no evidence for this whatsoever. There was a Joe Thomas who wrestled, but this was a completely different person. The sources cited were mistaken. Andrew G. Doe (talk) 10:56, 13 May 2024 (UTC)