# Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)

Ian Campbell Thomas (born 23 July 1950) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actor and author. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dave Thomas. He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

## Early life

Thomas was born to Moreen Duff Muir (May 4, 1928 - May 18, 2022), a church organist for thirty years originally from Glasgow, Scotland, and composer of church music, and John E. Thomas (1926–1996), a medical ethicist from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales who was head of the Philosophy Department at McMaster University, and the author of several books.
The family moved temporarily to Durham, North Carolina, where Thomas' father attended Duke University and earned a PhD in philosophy. The family moved back to Dundas, Ontario, in 1961.

## Career

Thomas is a successful rock and roll musician in Canada. His solo career peaked during the 1970s; his most memorable hit was 1973's "Painted Ladies". Success in the American market, however, has proven to be elusive with the possible exception of "Painted Ladies", which remains his only U.S. Top 40 hit. He has also done musical composition for about a dozen films and television shows. Before breaking through with "Painted Ladies", he was a producer at the CBC. Before that, he was part of the folk music group Tranquility Base (sometimes spelled Tranquillity Base).
In 1974, he won a Juno Award for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year". That year he toured in eastern Canada with April Wine. In 1976 he signed with Chrysalis Records.
In 1981, Thomas made a cameo appearance on SCTV with his real-life older brother Dave Thomas during a sketch of "The Great White North". He played himself and performed the songs, "Pilot" and "Hold On". He also wrote and recorded the theme song for his brother's film Strange Brew. As well, Thomas was a musical guest on the CTV children's show Whatever Turns You On (a short-lived spinoff of You Can't Do That on Television) in 1979.
Many of his songs have been covered by popular artists, including "Hold On" (Santana, 1982), "Chains" (Chicago, 1982), "The Runner" (Manfred Mann's Earth Band, 1984), and "Right Before Your Eyes" (America, 1983). In 1988, Daryl Braithwaite had hits in Australia with two Thomas compositions: "As the Days Go By" (which peaked at #10), and "All I Do" (a #12 chart hit). Bette Midler also covered his song "To Comfort You" on her Bette of Roses album.
He is also known for the portrayal of the character "Dougie Franklin" on the Canadian comedy series The Red Green Show.
From 1991 through 2002, Thomas released four albums with The Boomers.
2004-Journey to Joke A Lot 2005-Big Wish
In 2009, Thomas provided the music for the animated series Bob & Doug, based on the SCTV characters of the same name.
He has written two books, Bequest (2006), Canadian Best Seller, and The Lost Chord (2008), both through Manor House Publishing.
In 2010, Wounded Bird Records re-issued "Still Here" on CD.
On 16 June 2014, Thomas was awarded the National Achievement Award by SOCAN at the 2014 SOCAN Awards in Toronto.
In 2015, he performed with Darcy Hepner and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and recorded with them for a CD.
During the summer of 2016, Thomas was touring Ontario, Canada, with singers Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, and Marc Jordan, in the group Lunch At Allen's. The tour was continuing in late 2018 with a series of dates in Ontario.
Thomas is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

## Personal life

His son Jake Thomas, a director of adventure sports documentaries, was injured in a snowmobiling accident in 2017.

## Discography
### Singles
#### With Tranquility Base (1970–71)

| Year | Title | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | Canada RPM 100 | Canada A/C | US Hot 100 | Album |
| 1970 | "If You're Lookin'" | 24 | 47 | - | Non-LP singles |
| 1970 | "In the Rain" | - | - | - | Non-LP singles |

#### Ian Thomas solo career (1973–2016)

| Year | Title | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | Canada RPM 100 | Canada A/C | US Hot 100 | Album |
| 1973 | "Painted Ladies" | 4 | 5 | 34 | Ian Thomas |
| 1973 | "Come the Sun" | 41 | 84 | - | Ian Thomas |
| 1974 | "Long Long Way" | 85 | 39 | - | Long Long Way |
| 1975 | "Mother Earth" | 41 | - | - | Re-recorded single version: Original version from Long Long Way |
| 1975 | "Julie" | 69 | - | - | Delights |
| 1975 | "The Good Life" | 92 | - | - | Delights |
| 1976 | "Liars" | 25 | - | - | Calabash |
| 1976 | "Mary Jane" | - | - | - | Calabash |
| 1977 | "Right Before Your Eyes" | 57 | - | - | Calabash |
| 1978 | "Coming Home" | 40 | 33 | - | Still Here |
| 1978 | "Sally" | - | - | - | Still Here |
| 1978 | "I Really Love You" | - | - | - | Still Here |
| 1979 | "Time is the Keeper" | 71 | - | - | Glider |
| 1979 | "Pilot" | 83 | - | - | Glider |
| 1980 | "Tear Down the Wall" | - | - | - | The Best of Ian Thomas |
| 1981 | "The Runner" | - | - | - | The Runner |
| 1981 | "Hold On" | 28 | 20 | - | The Runner |
| 1981 | "Borrowed Time" | - | - | - | The Runner |
| 1981 | "Chains" | 29 | - | - | The Runner |
| 1983 | "Strange Brew" | - | - | - | Strange Brew soundtrack |
| 1984 | "Do You Right" | 65 | - | - | Riders on Dark Horses |
| 1984 | "Picking Up the Pieces" | - | - | - | Riders on Dark Horses |
| 1985 | "Endless Emotion" | - | - | - | Add Water |
| 1985 | "Harmony" | - | - | - | Add Water |
| 1985 | "Touch Me" | - | - | - | Add Water |
| 1988 | "Levity" | 25 | - | - | Levity |
| 1989 | "Back to Square One" | - | - | - | Levity |

#### With The Boomers (1991–2002)

| Year | Title | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | Canada RPM 100 | Canada A/C | US Hot 100 | Album |
| 1991 | "Love You Too Much" | 41 | 32 | - | What We Do |
| 1991 | "One Little Word" | 49 | 29 | - | What We Do |
| 1991 | "Wishes" | 68 | 28 | - | What We Do |
| 1993 | "You've Got to Know" | 20 | 26 | - | Art of Living |
| 1993 | "Art of Living" | 41 | - | - | Art of Living |
| 1994 | "Good Again" | 68 | - | - | Art of Living |
| 1996 | "I Feel a Change Coming" | 17 | 15 | - | 25 Thousand Days |
| 1997 | "Saving Face" | 18 | 24 | - | 25 Thousand Days |
| 2002 | "I Want to Believe in Something" | - | - | - | Midway |

#### With Lunch at Allen's (2004–present)

| Year | Title | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | Canada RPM 100 | Canada A/C | US Hot 100 | Album |
| 2004 | "Perfect World" | - | - | - | Lunch at Allen's |
| 2007 | "What Kind of Love" | - | - | - | Catch the Moon |

### Solo albums

* 1973 - Ian Thomas; #30 CAN (10 weeks in Top 100)
* 1974 - Long Long Way
* 1975 - Delights
* 1976 - Calabash (aka Goodnight Mrs. Calabash) (as Ian Thomas Band); #62 CAN (20 weeks in Top 100)
* 1978 - Still Here (as Ian Thomas Band); #60 CAN (10 weeks in Top 100)
* 1979 - Glider (as Ian Thomas Band); #77 CAN (8 weeks in Top 100)
* 1980 - The Best of Ian Thomas
* 1981 - The Runner
* 1984 - Riders on Dark Horses; #91 CAN (6 weeks in Top 100)
* 1985 - Add Water
* 1988 - Levity; #74 CAN (6 weeks in Top 100)
* 1993 - Looking Back
* 2012 - Little Dreams
* 2016 - A Life in Song
* 2024 - How We Roll

### Albums with The Boomers

* 1991 - What We Do
* 1993 - Art of Living
* 1996 - 25 Thousand Days
* 2002 - Midway

### Albums with Lunch at Allen's

* 2004 - Lunch at Allen's
* 2007 - Catch the Moon
* 2010 - More Lunch at Allen's
* 2012 - Zuzu's Petals
* 2017 - If It Feels Right

### Comedy Album with the Air Pirates

* 1990 - Volume Two