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Pajama man: His death was announced on Buddy Cianci's radio show -- of natural causes, in his sleep, a quiet, conventional end which no one would have predicted. Jeff Thomas always wore pajama bottoms, and usually kid's pajamas on his head; barefoot, his feet grew their own calloused soles.

A member of RISD's early '70s house band, The Fabulous Motels, he went on to manage the original Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel when it anchored the Conrad Building on Westminster Street, In later years, he tooled around in a Mercedes art car, bought with an inheritance. He worked in tile, and some lucky local folks have his art installed as a permanent part of their homes.

In the Phoenix today, Philippe and Jorge (Chip Young and Rudy Cheeks, respectively) remember this strange sweet son of a Brown American history professor (which explains his iconic name): Jefferson Thomas was in the vanguard of the Providence underground:

...Of the dozens and dozens of Jeff Thomas stories, the most outlandish tend to be true. I was there at 6 am at the Standard Tap on Richmond Street when he bought a $1000 winning scratch card and sold it to the bartender for $900 (Jeff was leaving town the next day). Little did the bartender know that the tax on the winnings would make him a loser.

One night, Jeff had two automobiles parked outside of Leo's on Chestnut Street, his and his mother's, which he needed to drive home to Riverside in East Providence. His unique solution? Drive one about 1000 yards, get out, walk back and drive the other 1000 yards, and then alternate until he got both home, about five hours later. He played inspiring blues guitar and lap steel guitar, and did beautiful tile work (such as the inlaid tile work at Geoff's Sandwich Shop on Benefit Street)...

 Tags  Jeff Thomas obits

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