Bruce Thomas

Who is Bruce Thomas?

Bruce Thomas is best known as bassist for The Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello in concert and on record.

Thomas is also the author of 1994's Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit, a biography of the renowned martial artist and movie star, and 1991's The Body of Time, ISBN 0-14-019301-4, a short book about metaphysics.

Thomas attended Grangefield Grammar School in Stockton on Tees, and after leaving, worked as a trainee commercial-artist at the local Evening Gazette newspaper. He was playing bass in local bands at night, around his home town, and eventually joined The Roadrunners. After Rodgers switched from playing bass to being their up-front singer, the band changed their name to The Wildflowers, and in late 1966 decided to quit their respective day-jobs and move to London. After achieving little success, the band eventually split.

Thomas remained in London, hooking up with Bitter Sweet and Bodast in the late 1960s and recording with Quiver, The Sutherland Brothers, Moonrider and Al Stewart in the early 1970s.

But it was his inventive and highly melodic bass work with Costello that brought Thomas his greatest fame.