Keep up with Tommy and all the latest Chuck Norris jokes on his website, The Frontloader.

We haven’t managed to get a really good bootleg of Keep On Rollin’ yet, but this one from Bo’s fanclub party at the CMA Fest isn’t bad.

Bo wrote the song with Todd Cerney and Buffy Lawson. Buffy seems to be just as delightful as the music. She was excited before 3 came out -

I co-wrote opening song on record…KEEP ON ROLLIN…wish us luck!!!

She was excited when 3 dropped -

Bo Bice CD released today!!! Gonna go buy me a new pair of shoes & treat myself to Red Lobster. hee hee

She was excited when the song was played abroad -

This song wasn’t slated to be a single in the states but apparently has taken on a life of it’s own in Europe, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be considered for a single here in the states! YEEEHAAAA! I’m a very happy little proud camper. YOU ROCK BO!

She’s still excited -

I just recently started with Bo and he is getting ready to put out a new album here before long. I have always believed in him as a singer. I followed him on American Idol and thought that he just kinda takes you back to the real “Southern Rock” that I miss musically. I think that he is one of those kinds that are just solid singers and very authentic. We’ve written a couple songs that I really love and he is a fabulous writer. He’s a funny and hilarious guy. He is so much fun to hang out with. I’m really excited to watch and see what happens next in his career and hopefully to be a part of it somehow. He’s a top-notch guy…he’s great.

I think I know where the bounce in Keep On Rollin’ comes from. And I want to hear those other songs they wrote together!

I can’t let this post go by without also saying once again good-bye and good luck to Jon and Tommy. We’ll miss your sound.

I remember first hearing Thomas on bad recordings of Bayfest and the Katrina benefit right after the end of Idol. He stood out and I kept asking ‘did anyone get the name of the keyboard player? He sounds like Roy Bittan‘). Of course, we soon came to know his name.

As music director, Thomas must surely deserve some of the credit for the fabulous performances we all saw on the summer tour. As a songwriter, he co-wrote two wonderful songs on Bo’s last album (See the Light and This Train). As a keyboard player, he brought all the songs alive. And as a blogger, he has entertained us all with funny stories and Sherman anecdotes. (Wait … could Sherman have anything to do with this??)

On top of all that, he’s a good guy who’s been unfailingly polite and kind to Bo’s fans.

I looked around on youtube for videos that would make a nice tribute to Thomas. This little clip from Exit-In is fun

And here’s video of Bo and Thomas performing This Train on Bo’s last acoustic tour.

My favorite musical memory of Thomas is seeing his face at the Ridgefield show this year when the audience ran down to the front of the theater during This Train. Thomas just broke out into this huge, happy grin and I know he was feeling proud of his song at that moment.

My favorite personal memory is from Troy, New York. Most of you who know I’m not one for hanging out trying to talk to the band, but Thomas had started to read and comment on my MySpace blog and just before that show, I blogged about going. He told me I had better say hello at the show. I felt sure I wouldn’t do it, but on my way into the venue, i passed the tour bus and Thomas jumped out just as I got close. So I nervously went over and said ‘hi’ feeling like a complete idiot for interrupting him. He was busy rummaging for luggage, and it was almost show time, but he didn’t make me feel at all like the rude person I was for bothering him. Instead, he broke into this big-assed smile, gave me a huge bear hug and asked if the cold I had mentioned in my blog was any better.

Thomas, you are a sweet guy and we will miss you and your tour photos and your ’swarm of bees’ keys.

How about you guys? What’s your favorite memory of Thomas’s time with Bo? Tell us in the comments.

So in the meantime, enjoy a couple of videos put up by D’Addario strings. In this interview, Bo talks about his background and songwriting. Over here, Luis Espaillat (he rocks!) dishes on his mad love for the bass and how he got hooked up into Bo’s band.

Chris is an old friend of Bo’s and the two of them wrote I’m Gone, which is on Bo’s album See The Light, and American Blood, which I suspect has been getting a lot of applause in Afghanistan and Kuwait this week.

Here’s Bo and Chris performing American Blood at the Exit/In in Nashville in February, 2007.

And I’m Gone that same evening.

I did stumble across this great singer-songwriter whose page popped up because he plays in the house band at BB Kings in Nashville.

What’s interesting is that both Bo and Thomas are in his top friends, and Luis is with them in his list of newly added friends.

No idea what it means but there’s obviously some connection there. Support act for the tour? New guitarist? Just some guy who happens to know Tommy, Bo and Luis? No idea!

Anyway, Thomas sounds like he’s had a rough couple of days and he’s asking for stories to remind him he’s not alone. Check out his blog and then tell him your story. I already did and I feel strangely relieved.

Oh, and if you’ve never actually had a setback of any kind, please go away and eat worms.

Tune in to the FOX News Channel’s New Year’s Eve Special at 11pm tonight and keep your eyes peeled for Tommy. While you wait, you can send text messages to him and the guys at 36288, and some of them will appear on screen. Keep it clean now.

Just for kicks, I looked up the words to Auld Lang Syne, which I always thought went “Hmm mmm mmmm mmmm hmm hmmm hmm hmm, in the days of old ang sign.” My bad. There are a lot of different translations, but any way you sing it, the song is surprisingly quite lovely.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS

Congratulations on the big gig, Thomas our trusty friend. Your music and your blogs and your smiling self have been great fun these last few auld lang synes. Here’s to a lot more cup raising and daisy picking and running about the slopes together next year.

I Wanted You is a tender and sensitive exploration of the way we have all felt after a break-up. I particularly like the line “I want to say that I love you, but I don’t think that I should” because haven’t we all been in a situation where we want to say those words, but know that nothing will get better if we do?

You can hear I Wanted You on Thomas’s MySpace page. Don’t forget to leave him a comment – I know he appreciates feedback on his music.