Tony Thomas

Tony Thomas  1927-1997

by Matthias Büdinger 5 January 2023
Ladies and Gentlemen, May I introduce you to a man who has done more for the preservation and sheer enjoyment of film music than anybody else, and this without composing a single note of music himself...He just likes to write about the subject in groundbreaking books, manifold articles and liner notes . He enjoys producing classical soundtrack albums, he can be heard on radio... He has written over 30 books on Hollywood and film in general, he is known in the Hollywood community as a charming and pleasant Master of Ceremonies. He is one of the most respected authorities on film music without being academic, combining his great knowledge with a showbiz attitude acquired over many years spent working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In short, Ladies and Gentlemen, would you welcome the one and only Tony Thomas!
by Randall Larson, John Morgan 16 February 2023
When Tony Thomas died of complications after a stroke on July 8, 1997, the film music world lost its greatest friend. In many ways, Tony really got me into film music. Oh, I'd become a soundtrack collector for a couple of years before receiving his book, Music for the Movies, as a gift in 1974. But after devouring his 270-page bible of film music history, I was a permanent aficionado.
by Jon Burlingame 7 January 2023
One of Hollywood’s preeminent film historians, Thomas was the author of 30 books, produced more than 50 albums of music, and produced many documentaries for television. His distinguished voice was among the best-known in the industry, heard annually as the announcer on the televised Kennedy Center Honors and American Film Institute Salutes.
by Jon Burlingame 7 January 2023
Tony Thomas produced and promoted a great number of film music recordings, LP vinyl and CD format, starting with the Citadel series in 1976. Varèse Sarabande took over distribution in 1979 (CT-7006), repackaging and remastering some earlier releases. The label remained until 1986, and in 1995 Tom Null, former Varèse executive, took over control of compact-discs.
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