Lafayette Thomas

b. 13 June 1928, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, d. 20 May 1977, Brisbane, California, USA. One of the few post-war guitarists to develop a personal style from an early admiration of T-Bone Walker, Thomas was encouraged by his uncle, Jesse ‘Babyface' Thomas. The family moved to San Francisco soon after his birth and there he learned to play both piano and guitar. His first gig in 1947 was with Al Simmons' Rhythm Rockers. In 1948 he replaced guitarist Robert Kelton in Jimmy McCracklin's band, with whom he remained intermittently for the rest of his career. He made his first record ...