Kid Thomas Watts

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Louis Thomas Watts, commonly known as Kid Thomas (20 June 1934 - 5 April 1970) was a rock and roll and blues musician.

Kid Thomas was born in Sturgis, Mississippi. As a child he moved to Chicago, Illinois and learned the harmonica. While his later reputation was formed from a particularly wild style of rock and roll, he initially played blues in Chicago. Through the 1940s he played with Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Bo Diddley.

In 1959 Producer George Motola recorded what would be Kid Thomas's signature recordings. From these sessions came the single "Rockin this Joint Tonight." While unsuccessful commercially at the time, his music has been reissued by aficianados, most recently on Rhino Records "Loud Fast and Out of Control" box set. His music is considered notable today for it's speed and ferocity.

Finding little commercial success, Kid Thomas worked as a lawn mowing man in Los Angeles in the latter half of the 1960s. On September 3, 1969, while driving his truck he struck a young boy and killed him. Arrested on a charge of manslaughter, the charge was later dismissed for lack of evidence. However, the boys father waited outside the courthouse and shot him. Kid Thomas died at UCLA Medical Center, Beverly Hills on April 5, 1970.