Joe Thomas is a renowned concert film and television director and music producer who has made a lasting impact on the music industry over the course of four decades. Throughout his illustrious career, Thomas has collaborated with some of 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.
Thomas served as President and Co-Founder of River North Recorders, one of the largest full-service recording studios in the country, and also founded River North Records, where he signed notable artists such as Peter Cetera, Alan Parsons, The Beach Boys, and Jim Messina. He was also President of Platinum Entertainment, which was named one of the fastest-growing companies by Inc. Magazine in 1996.
Thomas later co-produced Brian Wilson's third solo album, Imagination, which became Wilson's best-selling solo album to date. The album's first single, "Your Imagination", was co-written by Thomas and reached the top-ten adult contemporary hit.
In 2001, Thomas co-founded Kurtis HD Partners, and the following year, he partnered with Steve Dahl to co-produce a high-definition version of the classic PBS series, Soundstage, with WTTW Chicago. Thomas has since produced and directed over 100 episodes of the series.
Thomas has also produced and directed numerous high-profile concert specials, 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.
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 orchestrated the 50th reunion of the surviving Beach Boys, resulting in the album That's Why God Made the Radio, which debuted at number 3 on the Top-200 Billboard charts. 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.
In 2014, Thomas signed on as Senior VP of Audio/Visual at BMG Music, where he continues to work with many of the major artists from past collaborations as well as some of today's hottest stars. Thomas still resides in Illinois and continues to produce and direct a number of projects, including those starring artists such as Chaka Khan, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar, and the famed acapella group, Straight No Chaser.
