Introduction
Thomas Charles "Thom" Bresh (born February 23, 1948 in Southern California, United States) is a country music guitar virtuoso and singer. He is the biological son of Merle Travis. From age 3 to age 17, he worked as an actor and stuntman at Corriganville.
Fingerpicking in the style made famous by Travis, he brings the Travis legacy to new audiences. Bresh is a singer, songwriter, impressionist, and instrumentalist, whose instrument of choice is his custom-made two-sided Langejans SuperDualette (see photo at right), which he calls "my band." He has performed alongside performers ranging from Bob Hope to Chet Atkins to Gordon Lightfoot.
Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, Nashville Swing, has been a regular on the Merv Griffin Show and Dinah, 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, Classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson, Lyle Lovett, Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and Jerry Reed.
Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award nomination: Merle Travis album Travis Pickin' (producer)
- Academy Award nomination: Over You (theme song from movie Tender Mercies)
- Wine Lord title bestowed by World Wine Council, Bordeaux, France
- Wine Lord title bestowed by World Wine Council, Patrimonio, Corsica
- National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame inductee - 2001
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Homemade Love | 30 | Farr |
| 1977 | Kicked Back | — | ABC |
| 1978 | Portrait | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Homemade Love" | 6 | Homemade Love |
| "Sad Country Love Song" | 17 | ||
| "Hey Daisy (Where Have All the Good Times Gone)" | 33 | ||
| 1977 | "Until I Met You" | 57 | Kicked Back |
| "That Old Cold Shoulder" | 48 | ||
| 1978 | "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" | 78 | Portrait |
| "Ways of a Woman in Love" | 74 | ||
| "First Encounter of a Close Kind" | 84 | singles only | |
| 1982 | "When It Comes to Love" (with Lane Brody) | 77 | |
| 1983 | "I'd Love You to Want Me" | — | |
| "Somebody Like You" | — |
Filmography
- When America Was Rocked (September 9, 1956) (2006) - composed the musical score [1][2]
- Buster B. Jones in Concert (2000)[3]
- Thom Bresh in Concert (1998)[4]
- The Real Merle Travis Guitar: Like Father, Like Son (1994)[5]
- Great Guitar Lessons: Blues and Country Fingerpicking[6]
- Merle Travis: Rare Performances 1946-1981 - 2 duets with Thom Bresh from 1981 [7]
- Killing of Uncle Billy Tilman
- Killing of Ed Masterson
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral