Carl Thomas

Carlton Neron Thomas, born on June 15, 1972, in Aurora, Illinois, began his music career performing in Chicago as a member of the vocal group The Fourmula. His talent led him to New York City, where he gained recognition in local clubs during open-mic nights. One of these performances captured the attention of Sean “Puffy” Combs, leading to Thomas being signed to Bad Boy Entertainment in 1997. This marked a significant turning point in his early career, transitioning him from local talent to a signed artist with a major record label.

In 2000, Carl Thomas released his debut album, “Emotional.” The album featured the hit single “I Wish,” which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the R&B charts and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other notable singles from the album included “Summer Rain,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 2000 film “Shaft,” and the title track “Emotional.” The success of these singles propelled “Emotional” to platinum certification, selling over one million copies. Following this, in 2001, Thomas received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Can’t Believe,” a collaboration with Faith Evans. He also contributed vocals to tracks by various artists, including The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, N.O.R.E., Jay-Z, and Memphis Bleek.

Thomas’s second album, “Let’s Talk About It,” was released in 2004. Despite the album reaching gold status, its commercial performance was impacted by personal tragedy, as Thomas largely withdrew from promotional activities following the death of his brother, Duranthony Evans. He later released “So Much Better” in 2007, which reached number 25 on the Billboard 200, and “Conquer” in 2011. In 2006, he received another Grammy nomination for “Everyday (Family Reunion)” from the “Madea’s Family Reunion” soundtrack, alongside Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, and Gerald Levert. Thomas has continued to release music, including recent singles.