The Jon Thomas Trio in 1958 consisted of Jon on Hammond plus Gene Walker & Slim Jackson on sax. They were gigging at the Copa Club in Newport, Kentucky when recruited to back-up Brook Benton on tour. After that, the Jon Thomas Group secured a spot in a club in Buffalo and then moved on to play at the Baby Grand Club in Wilmington, Delaware.
They had one song called "Heartbreak" which everyone loved and they ended up playing it over and over at the club. While playing at the Baby Grand, Gil Askey, the arranger and trumpet player for the Chris Columbo Band, walked into the club one night and asked Gene Walker if he would like to join the Chris Columbo Quintet. Gene was reluctant to make the move but Jon Thomas knew the Columbo Quintet worked steadily and his band did not have the same prospects once they returned to Cincinnati. Thomas encouraged Walker to go with Columbo and so he joined the group. Thomas then returned to Cincinnati where he used his 'down time' to go into King Studios and cut "Heartbreak (It's Killing Me)". The track was such a hit that the Jon Thomas Group suddenly had more than enough work.
Chris Columbo certainly had some good guys in his groups as from around 1960 to 1962, Earl Van Dyke was the Hammond player in his outfit.
By the 70's, Jon Thomas was back in Cincinnati & getting gigs wherever he could, usually playing as a solo musician in clubs, bars & restaurants ......... a 1978 spot he had ........