Joe (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe
Joe performing in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Lewis Thomas
Born	(1973-07-05) July 5, 1973 (age 51) Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Origin	Opelika, Alabama, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Plaid Takeover BMG Massenburg Media Kedar 563 Island Jive PolyGram Mercury
Associated acts	Case Profyle Kedar Massenburg Michele Williams

Joseph Lewis Thomas (born July 5, 1973), known simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer. He signed with Polygram Records in 1992. He became famous after releasing his first album, Everything, in 1993.

Joe then released many successful albums with Jive Records. These included All That I Am (1997) and the worldwide hit My Name Is Joe (2000). Other popular albums were Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Many songs from these albums became big hits. These include "Stutter", which reached number one. Other top songs were "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know". He also had hit collaborations like "Faded Pictures" and "Thank God I Found You" with Mariah Carey, which also hit number one.

After leaving Jive Records, Joe started releasing his music independently. His twelfth album, My Name Is Joe Thomas (2016), was his eleventh album to reach the top five on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The song "So I Can Have You Back" became his fourth number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart. This means he had number-one hits in three different decades: the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.

In 2010, Billboard magazine listed Joe as one of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. He has won an ASCAP Award for "I Wanna Know". Joe has also been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and many other awards. These include a BET Award, an NAACP Image Award, and four Soul Train Music Awards.

Early Life and Music Start

Joe was born on July 5, 1973, in Columbus, Georgia. His parents were evangelist preachers. He moved to Opelika, Alabama, when he was young and finished Opelika High School in 1990.

After high school, Joe kept singing and writing music. He also worked temporary jobs. In New Jersey, he worked at a gospel music store and studied music at a local church. There, he met producer Vincent Herbert. Joe recorded a three-song demo tape, which helped him get a record deal.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1990s

In 1992, Joe signed with PolyGram Records. He released his first album, Everything, in 1993. Joe helped produce this album. It reached number 105 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also hit number 16 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Everything had three singles. "I'm in Luv" was one of them. It became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It also reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1996, Joe sang "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)" for the soundtrack of the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. This song became a single and reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Later, it was the first song on his second album, All That I Am (1997). This album was released after he signed with Jive Records.

All That I Am was a big success for Joe. It reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Another hit song from the album, "Don't Wanna Be a Player", was also on the Booty Call movie soundtrack. All That I Am eventually sold over a million copies in the US, earning a platinum award.

Joe also wrote and produced music for other artists in the 1990s. He remixed songs for Barry White and Tina Turner. He also worked on albums for R&B groups like Ideal, Xscape, and Hi-Five. Joe sang on the remix of Big Punisher's "Still Not a Player". He also sang background vocals on Brandy's song "Angel in Disguise".

In 1999, singer Mariah Carey asked Joe to sing on her song "Thank God I Found You". This song was on her album Rainbow. When it was released as a single, it became Joe's first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also sold enough copies to be certified Gold. The song did well internationally, reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom.

Success in the 2000s

In April 2000, Joe released his third album, My Name Is Joe. Joe and other producers like Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Teddy Riley, and Tim & Bob worked on it. Critics liked the album. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 and was number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also charted in other countries like the Netherlands and Canada.

My Name Is Joe had three singles: "I Wanna Know", "Treat Her Like a Lady", and "Stutter". "I Wanna Know" and "Stutter" both reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100. My Name Is Joe became his best-selling album, selling over three million copies in the US. It also earned platinum and silver awards in other countries. In 2001, the album and "I Wanna Know" were nominated for Grammy Awards.

The next year, Joe released his fourth album, Better Days. It reached number 32 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold enough copies to be certified gold in the US. The album had two singles: "Let's Stay Home Tonight" and "What If a Woman". "What If a Woman" became a number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart. Better Days was also nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2002, Joe worked with Mariah Carey again on the remix of her song "Through the Rain".

Joe worked with many famous musicians on his fifth album, And Then.... These included Carvin & Ivan, Dre & Vidal, R. Kelly, and The Underdogs. Released in late 2003, And Then... reached number 26 on the US Billboard 200. The main single, "More & More", was a top 20 R&B hit in the US. It was also released with "Ride Wit U", a song with rap group G-Unit. "Ride Wit U" reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. And Then... was certified gold in the US.

Joe's sixth album, Ain't Nothin' Like Me, came out in April 2007. It featured rappers like Nas, Fabolous, and Young Buck. The album received good reviews. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. It sold about 98,000 copies in its first week. This was his highest-charting album since My Name Is Joe. The song "If I Was Your Man" reached number three on Billboard's Adult R&B Songs chart. Ain't Nothin' Like Me was Joe's last album with Jive Records. In 2007, Joe also sang a cover version of Carrie Underwood's hit "Before He Cheats" for Pepsi Smash.

Independent Music Since 2008

After leaving Jive Records, Joe released his seventh album, Joe Thomas, New Man, independently in September 2008. It debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200. The song "E.R. (Emergency Room)" was the only single to reach the top forty on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Just ten months later, Joe released Signature, his second album with Kedar Massenburg's company. This album was full of slow songs (ballads) that Joe wrote, produced, and arranged himself. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200. The same year, Joe released a Christmas EP called Make Sure You're Home for Christmas. This EP was later turned into a full album, Home Is the Essence of Christmas, released in 2010.

In 2010, Joe worked with Keith Sweat on the song "Test Drive". Also in 2010, he released his ninth album, The Good, the Bad, the .... This album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200.

After a short break, Joe's tenth album, Doubleback: Evolution of R&B, was released in July 2013. It was his first release with Massenburg's new company, Massenburg Media. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip Hop chart. Rapper Too Short also appeared on the album.

In March 2014, Joe signed a deal with BMG Rights Management. His eleventh album, Bridges, was his first album with Plaid Takeover Entertainment. After many years of his albums reaching the top ten on the Billboard 200, Bridges debuted at number 17.

In November 2015, Joe recorded a cover of Adele's famous song "Hello". His version received mostly good reviews. Joe's twelfth album, My Name Is Joe Thomas, was released on November 11, 2016. It was a tribute to his earlier album My Name Is Joe (2000). The album debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The single "So I Can Have You Back" became his fourth number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart. To support the album, Joe went on a concert tour in Europe with Ashanti in early 2017.

Albums

• Everything (1993)
• All That I Am (1997)
• My Name Is Joe (2000)
• Better Days (2001)
• And Then... (2003)
• Ain't Nothin' Like Me (2007)
• Joe Thomas, New Man (2008)
• Signature (2009)
• Home Is the Essence of Christmas (2010)
• The Good, the Bad, the ... (2011)
• Doubleback: Evolution of R&B (2013)
• Bridges (2014)
• My Name Is Joe Thomas (2016)

Awards and Nominations

Joe has been recognized with several awards and nominations throughout his career:

See also

In Spanish: Joe (cantante) para niños