Carl Thomas

Carl Thomas is an American R&B singer known for his hit single 'I Wish'. Thomas was born on June 15th, 1972 in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. He sang in his church choir and in various groups around Chicago before landing with The Fourmula, with whom he had a minor 1994 hit in the form of 'Pass It Over'. He left the group to move to New York, however, performing at open mic nights and showcase gigs in a bid to build a reputation as a solo performer. It worked, with Sean 'Puff Daddy'/'P Diddy' Combs hearing him at a show and swiftly signing him to Bad Boy Entertainment. For a while he sang R&B backing for hip-hop acts including the Notorious B.I.G., the LOX, LL Cool J, N.O.R.E. and Combs himself. In 2000, however, he got a break as an artist in his own right with the album 'Emotional'. Its lead single, 'I Wish', was a hit, topping the R&B charts and staying there for six weeks. Along with 'Summer Rain', the song helped 'Emotional' top a million sales. It was four years before the follow-up, 'Let's Talk About It', was released, and the timing was difficult. Thomas's brother had just been killed in a drive-by shooting and Thomas opted not to tour or promote the album while he grappled with his brother's death. In 2006 Thomas joined Yolanda Adams, Chaka Khan and Gerald Levert to record the track 'Everyday (Family Reunion)' for the film 'Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion', earning a Grammy nomination in the process. Thomas released the album 'So Much Better' in 2007 and 'Conquer' in 2011.

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