Thomas Wayne (singer)

Thomas Wayne Perkins (July 22, 1940 – August 15, 1971)^[1] was an American singer. He is best remembered as a one-hit wonder for "Tragedy".

Wayne was the brother of Johnny Cash's guitarist, Luther Perkins.^[2] He released several singles between 1958 and 1964, primarily on the labels Fernwood and Mercury, including "This Time", which would later become a hit for Troy Shondell. He scored a major U.S. hit with the song "Tragedy" (credited to Thomas Wayne with the DeLons), which peaked at #20 on the R&B Singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959.^[3] It sold over one million copies, earning gold disc status.^[4]

The song proved to be his only hit, however. Later, Wayne worked as a sound engineer, before he died in a car accident, at the age of 31, in Memphis in 1971.^[4]

• Thomas Wayne discography at Discogs