‘Hooked on a Feeling’ singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78

One of the country’s most popular and versatile singers, B.J. Thomas, has died. He was 78.

Thomas was a Grammy-winning singer who enjoyed success on the pop, country and gospel charts with such hits as “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling.“

A statement released by Thomas’ representatives said the singer died Saturday in Texas from complications due to lung cancer.

A Hugo, Oklahoma, native who grew up in Houston, Billy Joe Thomas broke through in 1966 with a gospel-styled cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and went on to sell millions of records and have dozens of hits across genres.