Biography
Rev. Dr. William "Butch" Thomas, Jr. was born in Columbus, Ohio, to William Thomas, Sr. and Thelma (Hunt) Thomas. He attended Garfield Elementary School, Champion Junior High, and graduated from Linden McKinley High School in 1965. A lifelong member of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Bill grew spiritually at Woodland Christian Church, where the gift of a piano sparked his extensive career as a musician, singer, actor, teacher, and pastor. Blessed with a beautiful tenor voice, he participated in elite music groups in high school.
After graduating, Bill attended The Ohio State University, earning a sociology degree in 1970. At OSU, he was among the few African American men in the Men's Glee Club. Following graduation, Bill pursued his dream of performing on the "big stage" in New York. In 1971, he became a minister of music while working on Broadway, appearing in the original off-Broadway production of Godspell, Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, and playing Jacob in the original Broadway cast of La Cage Aux Folles.
His acting credits included The Bold and the Beautiful, Mambo Kings, Bruce Almighty, and Surviving Christmas. He starred in numerous commercials, notably as the lead in two long-running Coast Soap commercials. Bill portrayed Cool Charles in the comedy Frank's Place, earning an NAACP Image Award nomination, and had a lead role in Stephen Bochco's Cop Rock. One of his most prominent roles was Dabnis Brickey, Vanessa Huxtable’s fiancé, on the final season of The Cosby Show.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Bill was called to pastor the Little White Chapel in Burbank in 2009, a congregation he deeply loved and served until his passing. He earned both a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from the Claremont School of Theology. While his faith and music remained central to his life, his family was always his greatest priority.
