Thomas Boggs
Encyclopedia
Thomas Boggs was an American
musician
, playing with the Box Tops
, and restaurateur
in Memphis
, Tennessee
.
, but moved to Memphis at age 7. He graduated from Central High School
, and later the University of Memphis
.
He played in local Memphis bands including Tommy Burk and the Counts and with Flash and the Board of Directors, who opened for Paul Revere and the Raiders. However, his big break came as the drummer with the Box Tops
from 1968–1970, which gained minor international acclaim. While he was with them, they had a #28 hit single with "Sweet Cream Ladies" (1969).
. One former employee's account who knew Thomas Boggs personally, "Thomas was the manager at the Dallas, Texas TGI Friday's, Old Town Shopping center location on Greenville Ave, helping open new restaurants. Tom was a great manager and a motivator of people. He didn't just appear as a manager, but a friend. He was highly motivated and was viewed as a driving force behind the growth of TGI Friday's in their early years. Once when entering his office at the restaurant several people were standing at attention in pledge formation with their hats on their heart. I asked, What is going on? (while the letter played on the radio in the background). The cashier mentioned "Didn't you know? Thomas was the drummer for the Box Top's". Later I was surprised when opening the album "Non Stop" by the Box Tops and there was Tom Boggs. Noted as the road manager for the band while at the same time always keeping a solid drum beat". In 1975, he moved back to Memphis, catching on as a bartender at Huey’s, then a local bar.
Boggs quickly became a manager, then a partner two years later. His experience with Friday’s helped transition Huey's into a restaurant. With Boggs at the helm as CEO, Huey's would blossom into a chain of seven pubs in Memphis. He would also become a partner in several other Memphis area restaurants including the Half Shell, Tsunami, Folk's Folly and the Prime Cut Shoppe.
As a former Memphis Restaurant Association president and 2007 recipient of its Civic and Community Leadership Award, Boggs was known for his civic contributions: board member and former president of the Memphis Zoological Society; advisory board member of the Memphis Food Bank; Chairman and board member of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Chairman and board member of Memphis In May.
He died in 2008 from cancer in Memphis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, playing with the Box Tops
Box Tops
The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
, and restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Early life
Boggs was born in Wynne, ArkansasWynne, Arkansas
Wynne is the county seat and largest city of Cross County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 8,615 at the 2000 Census. Nestled between the Arkansas Delta and Crowley's Ridge, Wynne is home to the largest state park in Arkansas, Village Creek State Park.-Geography:Wynne lies at , the...
, but moved to Memphis at age 7. He graduated from Central High School
Central High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Central High School is a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee. Since it was founded in the early 1900s and is considered the first high school in Memphis; Central is often called "THE" High School. It is a part of the Memphis City Schools Optional School system where it is recognized as a...
, and later the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
.
He played in local Memphis bands including Tommy Burk and the Counts and with Flash and the Board of Directors, who opened for Paul Revere and the Raiders. However, his big break came as the drummer with the Box Tops
Box Tops
The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
from 1968–1970, which gained minor international acclaim. While he was with them, they had a #28 hit single with "Sweet Cream Ladies" (1969).
Later life
After the music business, Boggs began working in the restaurant business. In the early 1970s, he worked at T.G.I. Friday'sT.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF...
. One former employee's account who knew Thomas Boggs personally, "Thomas was the manager at the Dallas, Texas TGI Friday's, Old Town Shopping center location on Greenville Ave, helping open new restaurants. Tom was a great manager and a motivator of people. He didn't just appear as a manager, but a friend. He was highly motivated and was viewed as a driving force behind the growth of TGI Friday's in their early years. Once when entering his office at the restaurant several people were standing at attention in pledge formation with their hats on their heart. I asked, What is going on? (while the letter played on the radio in the background). The cashier mentioned "Didn't you know? Thomas was the drummer for the Box Top's". Later I was surprised when opening the album "Non Stop" by the Box Tops and there was Tom Boggs. Noted as the road manager for the band while at the same time always keeping a solid drum beat". In 1975, he moved back to Memphis, catching on as a bartender at Huey’s, then a local bar.
Boggs quickly became a manager, then a partner two years later. His experience with Friday’s helped transition Huey's into a restaurant. With Boggs at the helm as CEO, Huey's would blossom into a chain of seven pubs in Memphis. He would also become a partner in several other Memphis area restaurants including the Half Shell, Tsunami, Folk's Folly and the Prime Cut Shoppe.
As a former Memphis Restaurant Association president and 2007 recipient of its Civic and Community Leadership Award, Boggs was known for his civic contributions: board member and former president of the Memphis Zoological Society; advisory board member of the Memphis Food Bank; Chairman and board member of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Chairman and board member of Memphis In May.
He died in 2008 from cancer in Memphis.