Timmy Thomas

Timmy Thomas is notable for having been a major one-hit wonder with “Why Can’t We Live Together?,” a song distinguished by its stripped-down production — soulful organ, played seemingly improvisationally over a rhythm from a primitive drum machine, with Thomas’ impassioned vocals layered over both. The result was a 1973 hit for Thomas and for T.K. Records subsidiary Glades. While Thomas had released records before “Why Can’t We Live Together?,” and continued to release them afterwards, none of them garnered much in the way of sales. He continued to work on sessions for T.K. Records artists (including Gwen McCrae and Clarence Reid’s alter-ego, Blowfly) and could be spotted in the ’90s working as a producer for LaFace Records. ~ Steven McDonald