B.J. Thomas, who famously sang Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, has passed away

Arlington, Texas - After more than half a century of singing pop and country, the legendary B.J. Thomas has passed away, according to his managers.

The famous US pop singer B.J. Thomas (†78) is dead.
The famous US pop singer B.J. Thomas (†78) is dead.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

The five-time Grammy winner died on Saturday in his Arlington, Texas home according to an announcement posted on his Twitter and website by his managers. Thomas was 78 and had been battling cancer.

Born Billy Joe Thomas in Hugo, Oklahoma in 1942, the singer topped the charts several times in the 1960s and '70s.

His classic, Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (1969), composed by Burt Bacharach (93) and sung for the Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman (†83) and Robert Redford (84), won an Oscar and shaped his pop career.

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Known for pop, fans adored his country and gospel music as well.

According to his management, Thomas sold a good 70 million albums and had eight number one hits in a career spanning more than 50 years.

B.J. Thomas' hit, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head."

Thomas is survived by wife Gloria, to whom he was married for 53 years, as well as three daughters and four grandchildren, according to information on his website.

Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

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