R.I.P. singer B.J. Thomas, artist behind "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"

Last night, Grammy-winning singer B.J. Thomas—best known for performing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and the original version of “Hooked On A Feeling”—died from complications related to lung cancer. Thomas was 78. This news comes from Variety, which shared this statement that Thomas made when his cancer diagnosis was first announced back in March: “I’m so blessed to have had the opportunity to record and perform beautiful songs in pop, country, and gospel music, and to share those wonderful songs and memories around the world with millions of you.”

Thomas was born in Oklahoma in 1942 but grew up in Texas, singing in the church choir and joining a country group called The Triumphs that later released a cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” that sold over a million copies in the ‘60s. He also embarked on a solo career, releasing a version of “Hooked On A Feeling” in 1968 that is a bit more straightforward than the more famous Blue Suede version from the ‘70s (re-popularized by Guardians Of The Galaxy decades later), which added in the “ooga chaka” bits from a cover by by British singer Jonathan King.