Artist of the Week Don Thomason This week’s featured artist, musician Don Thomason, exemplifies a lifetime of working to improve his performances to the best that he can be and at the same time still enjoy the work. Thomason has had no formal musical training other than piano lessons when he was a child. He began playing guitar when he was in the sixth grade, teaching himself from a country musician “learn to play guitar” booklet. By the next year, he was ready for competition and entered an annual talent contest at Morgantown Elementary School. He didn’t win the first year, but the next year in the eighth grade he had improved enough to win the competition. Thomason was active in chorus all of his high school years but said he didn’t have time for band. He participated in the high school’s performances of the musicals “Oklahoma” and “Lil Abner.” His first public performance in a band was at the high school chorus’s Christmas party during his freshman year. After high school, Thomason entered Western Kentucky University pursuing a curriculum in pre-pharmacy. He said he didn’t play much while at WKU because of his classwork. Thomason changed his major before his second year in college and entered the University of Kentucky pursuing a degree in production agriculture, graduating with a bachelor of science in 1980. While at UK, he obtained his first paying performance at an off-campus coffeehouse. He received $10 for a thirty-minute performance playing acoustic guitar and singing. During the summer after graduating from UK, Thomason obtained a “stint” playing keyboards with a band out of Washington, D. C Upon graduating from UK, Thomason decided to further his education by getting his master’s degree. Oklahoma State University was his choice for earning his next degree and in 1985 he graduated with a master’s degree in agricultural economics with an emphasis on water management. While at OSU, he auditioned for a performance at Aunt Molly’s Coffeehouse, an on campus establishment. For the job he competed against none other than country music’s famed Garth Brooks. They both got a job playing one night per week each. Thomason said he discovered that Garth Brooks was one of the nicest people he had ever met. Thomason moved back to Kentucky and obtained a job with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Division of Water. He also got into a band in Frankfort playing keyboards. During his days at OSU he met his wife to be, Kathy Causby. They were married in Lexington in January 1987, then moved to Topeka, Kansas, Kathy’s hometown. Don obtained employment in administration at Washburn University in Topeka. Shortly after moving to Kansas Thomason auditioned for the TNN television show “To Be A Star.” After a second tryout he made it onto the show playing guitar and singing country music. He was eliminated in the first round, but afterward he began booking many festivals and fairs in Kansas and Missouri, including the Topeka Railroad Days for two consecutive years. The Thomasons, Don and Kathy, moved back to Kentucky in 1995 and have lived in Morgantown since. He has played festivals in Missouri and Kentucky since moving back such as the 1996 World Chicken Festival in London and the International Barbecue Festival in Owensboro four years consecutively. He has played with many bands in the area. His most memorable was with Captain Dean and the Freedom Fighters playing three consecutive years at the Bowling Green Kiwana’s Club’s Thunderfest. Thomason said the size of the crowd was what made it so memorable. He said he now knows what the big name performers experience in playing to crowds of 20,000 plus people. He said it is almost indescribable. In recent years, Thomason has moved into the realm of being an independent performer with Don Thomason’s Allstars. He doesn’t have a regular band. Instead, he recruits musicians, usually out of Nashville, for each individual performance. Thomason said he usually gets about the same musicians each time. He always recruits the lead guitar from Nashville and usually the same two female vocalists rotate performances. Thomason said he really enjoys songwriting and someday wants to get into that on a full- time basis, but for now he has several regular places that he performs but is always looking for new places. His goal is to get to some high level in the music field, whatever that may be, and “do it for as long as I can as best I can.” by Roger Grady Givens
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 02:10:56 +0000
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