Thomas Charles Bresh (February 23, 1948 – May 23, 2022), sometimes spelled Tom Bresh, was an American country music guitarist and singer. Active from the 1970s, Bresh charted multiple singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts.

Biography

Bresh was born on February 23, 1948, in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, as the son of country singer Merle Travis. As a child, Bresh began acting in films and recording his own music. He also worked as a movie stuntman at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. In 1963, he was a member of the rock and roll band The Crescents featuring Chiyo when they recorded an instrumental track, "Pink Dominos". Producer Kim Foley issued this as a 45RPM single with "Breakout" on the B-side. "Pink Dominos" peaked at No. 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in early 1964. He then released a solo single about

D. B. Cooper D. B. Cooper is a media epithet for an unidentified man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727 aircraft operated by Northwest Orient Airlines, in United States airspace on November 24, 1971. During the flight from Portl ...

which was withdrawn due to controversy over its subject matter. Starting in 1972, Bresh recorded for

Kapp Records Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...

. His first charted single, "Home Made Love", made number six on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1976. This was included on an album of the same name for Farr Records. Due to the song's success, Bresh was nominated by the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...

as Top New Male Vocalist that year. Bresh recorded two albums for ABC Records as well: ''Kicked Back'' in 1977 and ''Portrait'' a year later, both produced by

Jimmy Bowen James Albert Bowen (born November 30, 1937) is an American record producer and former rockabilly singer. Bowen brought Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood together, and introduced Sinatra to Mel Tillis for their album, ''Mel & Nancy.'' Early life ...

. '' Cash Box'' magazine reviewed ''Kicked Back'' favorably, saying that Bresh had " perfectly mellow voice and vital tracks with excellent material and interpretation". '' Record World'' magazine published a positive review of ''Portrait'', calling the album "versatile" and noting the variety of musical influences. Included on ''Portrait'' was a cover of "

Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" is a Western swing novelty song written by Merle Travis and Tex Williams, for Williams and his talking blues style of singing. Travis wrote the bulk of the song. The original Williams version went to number ...

" which featured Bresh performing thirteen different impersonations. Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, ''Nashville Swing'', was a regular on ''

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'' and ''

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'', and made a guest appearance on the TNN special ''A Salute to the Country Greats''. As a producer, he has been employed by country legend

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

, classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson, Lyle Lovett,

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were so ...

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature int ...

and

. Bresh was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2021. He died in Nashville on May 23, 2022, at the age of 74.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

Official website

Pat Bovenizer Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2016) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bresh, Thom 1948 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians ABC Records artists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters Country musicians from California Guitarists from California Singer-songwriters from California Musicians from Hollywood, Los Angeles Deaths from esophageal cancer