How does a 13-year-old from Katy, Texas, who loves football and soccer, end up playing on the same legendary stages that have hosted rock and roll royalty? For Thomas, better known as TommyG, it’s not a riddle—it was his reality this past summer. In a few short months, this talent went from local gigs to a full-blown New York City adventure, training with Broadway’s best and rocking out in clubs where music history was made.
The whole whirlwind started when TommyG landed a coveted spot in the Joffrey Ballet School’s Musical Theater Summer Intensive. For three weeks, he lived and breathed the Broadway dream. It was an intense boot camp of dancing, acting, and singing, guided by pros who know exactly what it takes to shine under the stage lights. Each week, his group tackled numbers from massive hits like Wicked and Hell’s Kitchen. The real showstopper moment? TommyG was cast as Simba in their take on The Lion King, and by all accounts, his performance was a roaring success.
Just as he was catching his breath, another incredible opportunity knocked. TommyG was chosen for a global band put together by Kids Rock for Kids (KRFK) for their annual Come Together Festival. The mission is simple and powerful: bring talented young musicians from all over the world together to make music and help other kids. From July 10th to the 13th, he found himself on stage at some of NYC’s coolest venues—The Mercury Lounge, the iconic Bitter End, and the Drom.
He wasn’t just playing for a new crowd – he was jamming with a crew of unbelievable young artists. Imagine sharing a stage with Japanese drum sensation Yoyoka, New York’s guitar wizard The Only Bay, and the phenomenal 14-year-old bassist Maximo from Chile. “It was a fantastic experience,” TommyG said, still buzzing from sharing the stage with such amazing musicians in clubs with such history.
So, where does a journey like this even begin? Not in a flashy studio, but in the halls of his primary school. “I started showing a lot of passion for singing and participated in talent shows,” he says. The real push came during the quiet days of the COVID pandemic when he asked for more singing lessons. Soon, he was fronting a band and playing local shows all around his community.
When you ask who pushed him along, he’ll tell you it’s a team effort. “My dad helped me with a lot of things in my career,” he notes, also giving a huge shout-out to his singing teachers. But the first spark, the moment he knew music was his path, was a little closer to home. “My sister,” he explains, “was the person who inspired me to sing because she would always sing in the car and that’s when I realized that this is the career I want to pursue.”
You can hear that heartfelt energy in his own music. His single, “Good Life Lovin’,” is pure summer freedom captured in a song. It’s about “being with the people that mean the most to you,” and with a chorus that goes, “Don’t worry ‘bout nothing / It’s just another day / We’re good life Lovin’,” it’s impossible not to feel that vibe.
Even with a taste of the big city, TommyG is still a Texas kid at heart. He’s just as happy on a small stage in Alvin, Texas, singing country classics by Vince Gill and Chris Stapleton. It’s this blend of down-home authenticity and big-stage ambition that makes him so exciting to watch.
This past summer was more than just a trip. It was the start of something big. For TommyG, this feels like just the opening act. And we can’t wait to see what he does for an encore. To keep up with TommyG, give him a follow on Instagram.