Forrest (singer)

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 in the UK Singles Chart[3] and in his native United States (No. 9 Hot Dance Club Play).[4]

A second single, "Feel the Need in Me" (originally by The Detroit Emeralds), was a hit in the UK, reaching No. 17.[3] A third single, "One Lover (Don't Stop The Show)", peaked at No. 67 in the UK.[2]

He and his wife, Manon Thomas, 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]