Stories and Tales

Where to start...

I know you may not know me but I was one of the first star acts at the Pusi
Kat club. We opened in April '67. I was discovered by the Pusi Kat
owners, Frederico Da Silva, Alfredo, Jose Orosco and Sam Kinsey of Teen Canteen,
the first manager of the Pusi Kat club on la villita street. I performed
there six nights a week and did two 30 minute shows with a packed house of
about 3,000 screaming college kids mostly from Trinity University, St.Mary's
univ. and Incarnate Word College.

I was the headline star at the opening of the Pusi Kat for months and some of the groups that you
mentioned-Tommy Smith and the Laughing Kind; Chris Holzhaus; The Bubble Puppies;
All of these groups starred with me at the Pusi Kat but I was the headline
star. The other group that was mentioned, Sweet Smoke, backed me at Love
Street Light Circus and feel good machine teen age night club. I was the
opening headline star when the new club first opened along with a little
10 year old, James Brown impersonator, a kid named Demetrius who later starred at the
Pusi Kat after I left.

I was also the first r&b singer and performer to open at the grand opening of the San Antonio convention center.
The headliners of the show were the Grass Roots, the no. 1 rock band in
America , (Augie Meyers )and Lord August and Visions of Light and the Joe Thomas
show with Joe Thomas and little Demetrius. I had two of my own female
dancers (go-go girls). metamorphosis, one of the oldest modeling agencies in the
city had a fashion show. We were the first to combine rock, r&b, and
fashions in a show at the convention center-hemisfair'68.

My act was considered to be like James Brown, Prince or Michael Jackson but I first saw gorgeous George O'brien, a
Creole guy from Atlanta, Georgia's show and I imitated him. He was the first
Prince. I was the second going by the name of "little Joe" Joe Thomas show.
The greatest performer on earth at the time (that's what I was called). I
don't know how I was not mentioned. Spot Barnett and New Breed band was the
back up band for me and Augie Meyers, Lord August and the Visions of Light was
the house band for many months and they became the back up band for my great
show. I did break dancing and acrobatic dancing long before it was
popular. I combined it with all of the James Brown skate moves; jackie Wilson's
spin; and Joe Tex's microphone act. jimi Hendrix, Roy Head, president Lyndon
Johnson's daughters Lynda and Luci johnson came to see my performances at
the famous Pusi Kat club and hemisfair '68 project.

All of the fans of the Pusi Kat remember "little Joe" or the Joe Thomas show. Hendrix told me
when we went from the Pusi Kat to love street light circus club that he always
thought that gorgeous George O'brien and I were the greatest performers who
ever lived. So I don't know how I have not been mentioned on your site. I
have pictures also from that time-'67-68.

The performances were also televised bychannel 12 (i think) every night for the first 2 weeks. I was on
swingtime-dance show. Bruce Hathaway was the host. I opened more clubs than
any other performer- ever in s.a.- the satin doll, rinky dink, club
chandelier , guys and dolls, blue note, the patio (with sonny ozuna, sonny ace and
the royal jesters ). augie meyers -lord august and the visions of light and
Joe Thomas and little demetrius-a 10 year-old James brown imitator were the
first to open the convention center at hemisfair. The show was headlined by
the number one pop-rock group in the united states at the time-grass roots.
I just thought that I would let you know that Joe Thomas is still here and
still "getting down" and he doesn't imitate James brown. The man has his
own new sound.

- Joe Thomas Aug., 2009