Joseph Lewis Thomas, known simply as Joe, is a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, and producer who was born in Columbus, Georgia on July 5th, 1973 to two evangelist preachers. His family relocated to Opelika, Alabama where he grew up performing gospel music in the church. At 16 years old he wrote his first song, “Good Girl.”

After graduating from Opelika High School in 1990, Joe traveled to New Jersey hoping to make connections in the record industry. He continued his music education through a local church and, while working at a gospel record store, eventually met producer Vincent Herbert to record a three-song demo tape.

Joe signed to PolyGram/Mercury Records in 1992 and released his debut album, Everything, the following year.

His first notable success came when “All The Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” was featured in the 1996 hood parody movie Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. It was the singer’s first release to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 and became certified-Gold a few months later.

On April 18th, 2000, Joe released his third and most successful studio album, My Name is Joe, which went on to become certified 3x Platinum and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200. A remix of “Stutter” appeared on the Soundtrack for the 2001 film Double Take, titled “Stutter (Double Take Remix),” and featured New Orleans rapper Mystikal. The track was a cross-over smash hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 2001 and was certified-Gold.

Joe has established himself as one of the top balladeers in the R&B genre and presents himself as a sensual, romantic, sensitive, and intelligent singer and songwriter who is never at a loss for words in a song.

Priding himself on educating people through his mistakes, in 2017 he spoke on how love, sex, and his relationships over the years have helped him create a message with his music:

When it comes to anything at all, there has to be balance, love and sex included. There’s always a good and a bad side to everything. It comes down to choices because that’s what dictates everything: Choices. Every day that I wake up, it’s about choices. I try to have constant and continual learning moments, in every arena of life.

He continued:

Love, sex, and life is all about learning and growing—that’s what we’re here for. To learn, grow, and develop. Once good values have been instilled, those values become a decision making factor. There’s no one moment for me; it’s a series of growth opportunities and fluid choices. Experience is a good teacher.