Lillo Thomas

Before he sang for a living, Lillo Thomas ran for one. The American sprinter turned soul musician, born in 1961, reached the height of his recording career during the 1980s, when "Sexy Girl" and "I'm in Love" became his best-known songs. Those two titles remain the clearest entry point to a career that moved from the track to the studio and then to session work with a wide circle of performers.

He left athletics in 1984 after a car accident in Brazil, and music quickly took over. His 1983 debut for Capitol Records reached number 23 on the R&B Albums chart and produced the solo hit "(You're A) Good Girl", which peaked at number 22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The 1987 album Lillo put him at his commercial peak, with "I'm in Love" reaching number 2 on that same chart. Later releases include Come and Get It in 2010 and a vocal on the title track of Stetsasonic's Here We Go Again in 2024.