Thomas was born in Eden, Mississippi on October 14, 1926. While working in the fields, he began listening to blues on the radio. As a self-taught guitarist, he learned to play songs from older blues guitarists Elmore Davis and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. He then worked as a gravedigger in Washington County.
Thomas was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Leland, Mississippi.
Thomas died at the age of 66 in Greenville, Mississippi, from emphysema and a stroke on June 26, 1993. He is buried in Bogue Cemetery in Leland, and memorialized by a headstone placed in 1996 by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund and paid for by John Fogerty. His epitaph consists of lyrics from one of his songs. His son, Pat Thomas, continues to play and perform his father's songs.

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