Timmy Thomas dead: R&B legend sampled by Drake for Hotline Bling dies aged 77
He was not on the list.
R&B legend Timmy Thomas has died aged 77.
His official cause of death has not been given, though his family paid tribute to him on Facebook.
They wrote: "With appreciation and gratitude, the family extends a thank you for the prayers, support, precious words and other expressions of love and kindness during this time."
Thomas rose to global success through his incredible 1973 anti-war song Why Can't We Live Together, which went on to inspire numerous covers over the years, including by Sade on 1984 album Diamond Life.
More recently, the song was sampled by Drake for his huge 2015 hit Hotline Bling.
Thomas spoke of his pride of the song being introduced to a new generation of music lovers and said at the time to Spin : "I was very proud to listen to what he had done with it. Even though he had changed the message that I had, you know, 'Why can’t we live together.'
"But what it does is it gives me a chance for my name to be back out there, and gives me a chance to say something to the young people again. And that’s what exciting about it with me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s gonna do well."
Thomas was born in Evansville, Indiana, on November 13, 1944, as one of 12 siblings.
His love of music saw him study jazz under Cannon Ball Adderley and Donald Byrd, but his music studies at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, saw him transition to soul music.
Later, he began working as a teacher in Miami and it was while he was preparing for class that inspiration struck for his Why Can't We Live Together hit.
Thomas had been listening to a radio broadcast about the Vietnam War, which reported thousands of deaths.
In late 1972, he released the record and it soared to the top of the US Billboard R&B chart
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