“Starlighter” Tommy Thomas dies at 41
Students and Staff Mourn the Passing of Beloved Teacher and Colleague
 Cypress College Chronicle |
Cypress, California — Tommy Harrol Thomas was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 31, 1957 to Thelma Christine Thomas and C.J. Bursey. He accepted Christ at an early age and became a member of New Betha Baptist Church in Tennessee. At the age of eight, Tommy's mother, Thelma, was called home to rest. Tommy was left in the loving care of his mother's sister, Novella Thomas, where he was raised by his cousins. In 1970, Novella moved with her family to California where Tommy became a member of the Antioch Missionary Church.
At the age of twelve, Tommy picked up the saxophone, and his love affair with music began. In 1972, he attended Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA. and became a prominent member of the Wilson High School Band. He excelled not only in music, but also athletics, and received numerous awards in track and field. He graduated in 1976 and continued his education at Long Beach City College and CSU Northridge where he majored in music. In 1983 Tommy declared the Baga'i faith.
That same year while he was attending college, he met the love of his life, Wanda Kenlow. Months later, he proposed and in 1985 he and Wanda were untied in marriage at Baha'i Center in Los Angeles. From this union, four beautiful children were born, Brittany, Dalia, Karimah, and Gyasi.
With his wife's support, Tommy moved forward with a career in music, writing, producing and performing. His signature style of fusing R&B and Funk and his dynamic performances made him a popular musician on the music circuit. He played to packed houses at local jazz clubs and demonstrated his ability to hold his own in the music world performing with artists such as Ronnie Laws, Joe Sample, Dizzie Gilllespie and David Sanborn. Tommy released his debut CD "Aphrodisiac", which showcased his talents not only as a musician but also as a composer, arranger, and producer.
Tommy's musical talents combined with his stage presence and winning smile helped pave his way into the motion pictures. He appeared in such as What's Love Got To Do With It?, Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II, and The Bird. He also appeared in Highway to Heaven and several television commercials - Diet Pepsi. Nike, and AT&T. In 1991, Tommy decided to share his love of music through teaching. He became a music instructor at Cypress College, where he taught Commercial Music and Jazz Improvisation. His professional experience and innovative teaching technology - along with his energy and enthusiasm made him a popular instructor on campus.
His colleagues and students will miss him deeply, but his music will keep on living. Tommy died of lung cancer on February 18th and was buried on February 25th. Brenda Perikli, who was a student of Thomas' for 5 years said of Thomas, "He was a very caring and kind person. He was always very friendly and accommodating. He always went out of his way to make everyone feel like individuals. He was energetic, genuine, and extremely talented.
Several other students made calls to the Chronicle office to pay respect to Thomas, each of them having but praise for the remarkable teacher, who was in their opinion more like a friend. A memorial fund has been set up in his honor, to ease the burden of medical expenses to three of Thomas' four children who are fighting battles of their own with sickle cell anemia. His 7-year-old daughter suffered a stroke two years ago, and requires frequent hospitalization. The fund will be used for medical expenses. If anyone is interested in contributing, the Foundation Office may be contacted at (714) 484-7126 or at:
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