The Mobile Press Register says “Junior Thomas and the Automatics keeps the blues alive and well along the Gulf Coast. Original songs intermingled with convincing cover tunes.”

No Cover Original Gulf Coast Music Magazine stated that “Junior Thomas and the Automatics are truly keeping the blue flame burning in Alabama.”

The Gulf Coast Blues Society said “we are privileged to have such an original blues act in our part of the world. See Junior Thomas while you can.”

...more coming soon.

Junior Thomas - Vocals, Harp, Lyrics, Music
Tony "The Tone" Smith - Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Mike "Rat" Connell - Drums
Brian "McDaddy" McDonald - Drums
Rob "No Kin" Smith - Bass Guitar

John Anthony of Wet Willie fame featured on keyboards -- appears courtesy of Capricorn Records

1. Milkin' A Cow - (download mp3)
2. I'm Your Man - (download mp3)
3. Little Queenie - (download mp3)
4. Don't You Lie To Me - (download mp3)
5. Red Light's On - (download mp3)
6. Dice Game - (download mp3)
7. Meanest Woman - (download mp3)
8. I'm Unlucky - (download mp3)
9. Black Cadillac - (download mp3)
10. Wish You Well - (download mp3)

Mobile Bay Blues Society - The "BBQ, Hot Fish & Others" CD is South Alabama's gumbo of honkey-tonk and blues. A must have CD of originals."

No Cover Music Magazine – “BBQ, HOT FISH & OTHERS - Your order’s up!"

Boogie’s Newsletter – Rating CD’s of the South issue – “This is a five star CD that will stay in your rotation for a long time. It is refreshing to see exciting new material instead of predictable remakes of blues standards. Put on your dancing shoes for this one!

In the year 1969 at age 17, Junior began playing harmonica as a sit-in with local blues bands. This period is what Junior calls his “paying my dues” part of his career. At that time, there was no money to be gained from playing harp in the juke joints and honky-tonks of the South. However, it did give an under-aged harp player an opportunity to gain access to entry into the clubs and exposure to doing live performances that he would otherwise not have access to. The harmonica was a largely underappreciated instrument at that time and bands would ask him “is there anything else you can do besides play the harp?” This lead Junior to the conclusion that if he was going to play harp and make a living at it – he was going to have to front his own band.

Drawing back to his early influences of George “Harmonica” Smith, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, he studied the records of those blues harp giants to develop his own set list and ultimately his own unique style.

The music of Junior Thomas was formulated from the bayous and backwoods that were dominated by the black influences of the juke joints and the white influences of the honky-tonks. This blending of cultures led to the unique South Alabama soulful tone that comes through his song writing and vocals as exhibited in such fine examples as his CD “BBQ, Hot Fish and Others”. This style of music, uniquely born of the South, is driven by the sizzling sounds of the honky-tonk piano and complimented by the soothing blues of the harmonica. Forging the way, Junior Thomas filled the dance floors in both the juke joints and the honky-tonks because the music blended to all ears. As time went on, the number of practitioners in this style have dwindled leaving only a handful of originals such as Junior Thomas. His roots have not wavered and the music he creates is still as wonderful to the youth of today as it was to the youth of his day. It is a universal music of hope and hopelessness presented with wry humor through his one of a kind outlook on life.

The early years were difficult for Junior Thomas. Playing honky-tonk blues and making a family are difficult tasks to undertake at the same time. After two marriages and two divorces, he was back on the road again with two children to support as well. A heart attack at age 33 sidelined him temporarily and set him back in his career path. Success was an elusive mark until he met up by chance with a local guitar-slinger by the name of Tony Smith who was capable of playing the music that Junior Thomas had in his ingenious mind. This led to the formation of the Blues Cruise which was the only blues band in this area at the time. As the front man and only vocalist of Blues Cruise, Junior was also able to exploit his unique God given talent of writing original songs that dealt with life in turmoil from a perspective of humor and true to life situations. A prolific history of original songs continues to f low from the pen of Junior Thomas. His vocal styling and harmonica technique combined with his song writing talents reflected the voice of the blues. This talent in turn provided the band with a fan base that followed them throughout the juke joints, honky-tonks and blues festivals throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and forays into other Southern venues. This band was called upon to open for such notable acts as Bob Dylan, Anson Funderburg and the Rockets, Charlie Mussellwhite, Buddy Guy, Omar & The Howlers and others too numerous to mention.

After a telephone call from a friend who was in Memphis at the time, Junior was told about an old school blues performer by the name of Uncle Ben Perry. Uncle Ben was one of the few living black street players that were still around. Junior was intrigued enough to put Blues Cruise aside and seek out Uncle Ben by making the trip to Memphis, Tennessee. Once in Memphis, Uncle Ben offered Junior the job of being one of his nephews and playing with him on Beale Street in Handy Park. In order to play in historical Handy Park, one must have permission from Beale Street Management. Not just anyone can play on Beale Street and Handy Park. Handy Park itself is named after what some call the Father of the Blues – W. C. Handy from Florence, Alabama. Under his tutelage, he met and played with a host of other well known true blues performers such as Pops Davis, The Fieldstones, Big Lucky Carter, Little Jimmy King and others playing at venues like B. B. King’s Blues Club, Green’s Lounge, Wild Bill’s Lounge, private parties and parties at Memphis State University. Junior Thomas and Uncle Ben Perry played together in this unique duo for two years until Uncle Ben became ill with palsy in his hands. This prevented him from playing guitar. This development broke the heart of his partner, Junior Thomas. It also broke the heart of Uncle Ben. Within two years of retiring from performing, Uncle Ben passed from this earth leaving Junior Thomas the legacy of being the last “nephew” of Uncle Ben Perry. To this day, the days of performing on Beale Street in Handy Park with Uncle Ben brings back sad thoughts of what could have been and good memories of reflecting on the time spent at the feet of a part of blues history.

After Uncle Ben Perry, Junior Thomas returned to the Delta region of South Alabama bringing his own uniquely developed style. It was at this time that Roy Thomas changed his name to Junior Thomas in order to better reflect his continuing evolution in the blues. The reunion of Blues Cruise was formally changed to the new name Junior Thomas and the Automatics. In no time at all, Junior Thomas and the Automatics became the hottest blues act in the region - winning awards and filling up the juke joints and honky-tonks with their jump blues dance music.

In 1989, Junior Thomas was honored with the prestigious endorsement of Hohner Harmonica Company. Hohner endorses only a limited number of professional harp players in the world. Junior Thomas joined the ranks of such other notable harmonica performers such as James Cotton, Rod Piazza, Charlie Mussellwhite, Larry Adler, Charlie McCoy, and Kim Wilson.

Junior Thomas was instrumental in starting a music scholarship in the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan at the University of South Alabama following the untimely death of the late blues singer/guitarist. This good deed was recognized in the popular USA magazine “Guitar World” in their Special 1991 Edition “Blues Power”. It was noted that “Roy Thomas, leader of the Mobile, Alabama band Blues Cruise, has helped establish a Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship to the University of South Alabama School of Music”. Thomas was quoted as saying “Words can’t describe how much Stevie Ray meant to me. This is my small gesture towards always remembering him”. Stevie Ray died on a Monday in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin after headlining a concert that previous Sunday night with Eric Clapton and Robert Cray. Money was raised by Junior Thomas through benefit concerts that he headlined. Junior later met with the brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan - Jimmy Vaughan. Jimmy Vaughan related that Junior was the only one that he knew of that had done anything like that in memory of his younger brother.

You head towards the music and the closer you get, you begin to have the feeling that you might know who it is. Your mama warned you about going out late at night but your curiosity gets the best of you. Wondering all the time if he’ll be out tonight?

People in town have told old stories about it – but you never believed any of them were true. You get closer to the music and you turn around and tell your girlfriend, “That sounds like Junior playing”. The closer you get, the more you’re sure of it.

“Is he the one your mama warned us about?” You know you’ve seen those signs all over town, just like I did. What was it they said?

BEWARE OF THE HARMONICA PLAYER!