# Joe (singer)
**Joe** is the stage name of Joseph Lewis Thomas (born 1973), an American contemporary R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer known for a smooth, gospel-rooted vocal style and a string of romantic hit singles from the late 1990s and 2000s, including the number-one hit "Stutter" and the top ten entries "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know".[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Joseph Lewis Thomas, born 1973 in Columbus, Georgia[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895) |
| First record deal | Signed with Polygram Records in 1992; debut album *Everything* released 1993[3](https://www.last.fm/music/Joe) |
| Breakthrough | *All That I Am* (1997), certified platinum, reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200[4](https://pittsburghmusicmagazine.net/2013/02/26/multi-platinum-selling-rb-singer-songwriter-joe-releases-new-single/) |
| Best-selling album | *My Name Is Joe* (2000), certified triple platinum by the RIAA, sold over 3.25 million copies[5](https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/6272) |
| Awards | Seven Grammy Award nominations with no wins; ASCAP Award recipient for "I Wanna Know"[6](https://www.grammy.com/artists/Joe/17823/) |
| Chart standing | Billboard placed him 48th on its 2010 list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe) |
| Albums | Twelve studio albums through 2016; a comeback album recorded with an 80-piece Budapest orchestra was announced in 2026[7](https://ratedrnb.com/2026/09/joe-thomas-new-album/) |
## Early life and musical beginnings
Joe was born in [Columbus, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbus-georgia), and grew up in Opelika, Alabama, as the son of two preachers.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895) His musical training came through the church, where he sang, played guitar, and even directed the choir; he later described the church as "my whole life" during his childhood.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/joe) His early influences included gospel acts such as the Winans, Commissioned, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, alongside soul figures [Stevie Wonder](https://www.edgepedia.org/stevie-wonder) and [Marvin Gaye](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvin-gaye) and contemporary singers Bobby Brown and Keith Sweat.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895)
After graduating from high school in Opelika, he moved to New Jersey to pursue music.[9](https://richmondjazzandmusicfestival.com/program.pdf) While working at a gospel record store he met producer Vincent Herbert and recorded a three-song demo tape, which led to a contract with Polygram in 1992.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895)
## Recording career
His debut album, *Everything*, appeared in 1993 on Mercury and sold modestly, about 27,000 units according to SoundScan.[10](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1997/Billboard-1997-04-26.pdf) The turning point came with "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)", from the *Don't Be a Menace to South Central* soundtrack, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart and sold 708,000 units.[10](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1997/Billboard-1997-04-26.pdf)
**The Jive years.** Having signed with [Jive Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/jive-records), Joe released *All That I Am* in 1997. The album went platinum, reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200, and featured the hits "Don't Wanna Be a Player", "The Love Scene", and "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)".[4](https://pittsburghmusicmagazine.net/2013/02/26/multi-platinum-selling-rb-singer-songwriter-joe-releases-new-single/) In 1999 he appeared on [Mariah Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/mariah-carey)'s "Thank God I Found You", and his soundtrack single "I Wanna Know", from the film *The Wood*, initially charted low before catching fire in early 2000 and reaching the R&B Top Five in March.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895)
That single set the stage for *My Name Is Joe* (2000), his best-selling album, certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[5](https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/6272) The album, helped by "I Wanna Know" and "Stutter", fulfilled the promise he had built over several years in the industry.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/joe) In 2000 he ranked No. 3 on Billboard's year-end Top Hot 100 Artist, Male listing and No. 5 among Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists.[11](https://ratedrnb.com/2020/04/joe-my-name-is-joe-20th-anniversary/)
His five albums through the remainder of the 2000s, from *Better Days* (2001) through *Signature* (2009), each reached the Top Ten of Billboard's R&B chart, though none matched *My Name Is Joe* in sales.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895)
**Independence and later albums.** Since leaving Jive, Joe has released most of his projects independently, through ventures with Kedar Massenburg and Plaid Takeover Entertainment.[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe) His last three albums on independent labels each debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart, and *The Good, The Bad, The Sexy* (2011) opened at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.[4](https://pittsburghmusicmagazine.net/2013/02/26/multi-platinum-selling-rb-singer-songwriter-joe-releases-new-single/) In 2016 his twelfth album, *My Name Is Joe Thomas*, became his eleventh album to place in the top five of Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and its lead single "So I Can Have You Back" became his fourth number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart, spanning three consecutive decades.[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe) At that album's release he described it as the final entry in his discography.[7](https://ratedrnb.com/2026/09/joe-thomas-new-album/)
## Collaborations
Joe has been a frequent collaborator across R&B and hip-hop. His guest appearances include Mariah Carey on "Thank God I Found You", Big Pun on "Still Not a Player", and [G-Unit](https://www.edgepedia.org/g-unit) on "Wanna Get To Know You", the last built on the chorus of Marvin Gaye's "Come Live With Me Angel".[12](https://www.nelsonmandela.org/uploads/files/Bio_-_Joe_Thomas.pdf) • [13](https://www.bluesandsoul.co.uk/feature/20/joe_who/) His own albums have featured rappers including Nas, Fabolous, Papoose, Chamillionaire, Lloyd Banks, and [Tony Yayo](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-yayo).[13](https://www.bluesandsoul.co.uk/feature/20/joe_who/)
## Recognition
Joe is a seven-time Grammy Award nominee with no wins; his nominations include Best R&B Album for *My Name Is Joe* (2001) and *Better Days* (2003), Male R&B Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Know" and "Let's Stay Home Tonight", and Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Thank God I Found You" with Mariah Carey and 98°.[6](https://www.grammy.com/artists/Joe/17823/) He has also received nominations for a BET Award, an NAACP Image Award, and four [Soul Train Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/soul-train-music-awards).[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe) In 2010, Billboard ranked him 48th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years.[1](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe)
## Return to recording
In 2026, ten years after declaring *My Name Is Joe Thomas* his last album, Joe announced a comeback project. He is writing and producing the album himself, recorded with live musicians including an 80-piece orchestra in Budapest, and plans an independent release with a vinyl edition. He has cited Prince, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder as the standard he is aiming for, and has considered the titles *Dress Accordingly* and *My Name Is Joe Part 3*. The first single is slated for release before the end of 2026, with a full rollout targeted for 2027.[7](https://ratedrnb.com/2026/09/joe-thomas-new-album/) In the interim he faced fellow R&B singer [Donell Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/donell-jones) in a Verzuz battle that drew more than 3 million viewers across platforms.[7](https://ratedrnb.com/2026/09/joe-thomas-new-album/)
## References
1. [Joe: American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer, Sonofeed](https://www.sonofeed.com/musicians/joe)
2. [Joe — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-mn0000101895)
3. [Joe music, videos, stats, and photos, Last.fm](https://www.last.fm/music/Joe)
4. [Multi-Platinum Selling R&B Singer-Songwriter JOE Releases New Single, Pittsburgh Music Magazine](https://pittsburghmusicmagazine.net/2013/02/26/multi-platinum-selling-rb-singer-songwriter-joe-releases-new-single/)
5. [JOE album sales and chart history, Best Selling Albums](https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/6272)
6. [Joe Grammy Awards and Nominations, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/Joe/17823/)
7. [Joe Thomas Readies New Album: Everything We Know, Rated R&B](https://ratedrnb.com/2026/09/joe-thomas-new-album/)
8. [Joe, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/joe)
9. [Joe is an accomplished R&B vocalist, Richmond Jazz and Music Festival program](https://richmondjazzandmusicfestival.com/program.pdf)
10. [R&B Artists & Music, Billboard, April 26, 1997](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1997/Billboard-1997-04-26.pdf)
11. [Revisiting Joe's Album 'My Name Is Joe': Retrospective, Rated R&B](https://ratedrnb.com/2020/04/joe-my-name-is-joe-20th-anniversary/)
12. [Bio - Joe Thomas, Nelson Mandela Foundation hosting of 'DoubleBack' press biography](https://www.nelsonmandela.org/uploads/files/Bio_-_Joe_Thomas.pdf)
13. [JOE: WHO?, Blues & Soul](https://www.bluesandsoul.co.uk/feature/20/joe_who/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 1990s and 2000s › R&B singers of the 2000s › Surnames A to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license