Veteran R&B crooner Joe Thomas, better known simply as "Joe", whose career spans over two decades and 12 albums, is a great example of an artist whom uses his musical prowess for the better good. Since his debut in 1993 with hits like "I Wanna Know," "All the Things Your Man Won't Do", and the Top 5 R&B/Top 40 pop hit "Don't Wanna Be a Player," the multi-Grammy nominated crooner has been curing broken hearts, saving relationships and providing the airways with certified baby-making songs.
While working at a gospel record store and continuing his music education through a local church, he met producer Vincent Herbert, Tamar Braxton's husband, and recorded a three-song demo tape. He then signed to Mercury Records in 1992 and released his debut album, Everything the next year. Joe also had a song called "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)" that appeared on the soundtrack to the Wayans Brothers film Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. That song soared to the popularity and Joe then signed to Jive Records for his 1997 album, All That I Am. The rest, as they say, is history.
But what's behind the award-winning singer's lyrics? Does he live by his own words? According to Joe, he's learned a lot about love, sex and relationships over the years and prides himself on giving advice so others won't make the same mistakes.
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"When it comes to anything at all, there has to be balance," says the 45-year-old Joe. "Love and sex included. There’s always a good and a bad side to everything. It comes down to choices, because that’s what dictates everything: Choices. Every day that I wake up, it’s about choices. I try to have constant and continual learning moments, in every arena of life.
Love, sex, and life is all about learning and growing–that’s what we’re here for. To learn, grow, and develop. Once good values have been instilled, those values become a decision making factor. There’s no...
...one moment for me; it’s a series of growth opportunities and fluid choices. Experience is a good teacher.
"It's hard to tell the difference between love and sex. Sometimes it’s really hard because they’re so close. Especially if you are a passionate person. When you’re passionate you give your all to everything you do, no matter what it is. You go all in on both levels when it comes to that. It goes back to choices and moments–when it’s more than sex, when there’s love, there’s a commitment with your partner and understanding what that commitment entails, then making conscious decisions, moment by moment, to live that."
So what's next for the R&B crooner? The sky's the limit...
"I've been very fortunate and blessed to be able to write and produce my own music. For many artists, it's very difficult to go to another level because you have to wait, you have to be patient for the right record to come along. I've been in control of my destiny since day one."
