| Forrest | |
| Birth Name: | Forrest Melvill Thomas Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1953 |
| Birth Place: | Galveston, Texas, United States |
| Death Place: | Tilburg, Netherlands |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument: | Vocals |
| Years Active: | 1982–2013 |
| Label: | Ariola |
| Associated Acts: | The Limit |
Forrest Melvill Thomas Jr. (April 21, 1953 – September 9, 2013),[1] known professionally as Forrest, was an American singer, based in the Netherlands.
Born in Galveston, Texas,[1] where he sang in church during childhood, he moved to Los Angeles, California as a teen and won several contests there as a singer. After this stage in his career, he moved to the Netherlands, where he had a hit in 1983 with the song "Rock the Boat", a cover of the Hues Corporation's 1974 No. 1 US hit. His version peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and in his native United States at No. 9 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
A second single, "Feel the Need in Me" (originally by the Detroit Emeralds), was a hit in the UK, reaching No. 17. A third single, "One Lover (Don't Stop the Show)", peaked at No. 67 in the UK.[2]
He and his wife,, a television presenter had two sons, but later separated, after which he began to concentrate again on music. He sang in R.E.S.P.E.C.T., a theatre show, in 2001, dedicated to 1960s soul music. He was asked by DJ Roog to front the band Planet Hardsoul, who had a minor hit with their cover of "Where Did Our Love Go".In December 2012, Thomas married again, to Diana van Lippen.
On September 9, 2013, Forrest died of a stroke in a hospital in Tilburg, Netherlands, aged 60.[1]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [3] | AUS [4] | UK [5] | NLD [6] | |||||||
| 1983 | "Rock the Boat" | align=center | 9 | align=center | 33 | align=center | 4 | align=center | 7 | |
| 1983 | "Dancing with My Shadow" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| "One Lover (Don't Stop the Show)" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | 67 | align=center | 37 | ||
| "Feel the Need in Me" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | 17 | align=center | 20 | ||
| 1984 | "Dance All Night" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| "She's So Divine" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | 98 | align=center | — | ||
| 1986 | "She's So Free" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| 1987 | "Valerie" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| 1989 | "You Got What It Takes" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| "Rock the Boat '89" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | ||
| "Feelin' Alright" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 116.