Hughie Thomasson
As the fiery heart of The Outlaws, his soaring guitar work and harmonies created the blistering Southern rock anthem 'Green Grass and High Tides'.
1952–2007 (age 55)·Musical artist·Birthday: August 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Hughie Thomasson was the six-string engine and one of the keening voices that powered The Outlaws, a band that carved a permanent place in the Southern rock pantheon. From Tampa, Florida, Thomasson co-founded the group, setting them apart with his 'Florida guitar' style—a searing, melodic approach that provided the intricate, interweaving leads that became their trademark. While the band scored hits like 'There Goes Another Love Song', it was the epic 'Green Grass and High Tides', driven by Thomasson's composition and extended solos, that became their masterpiece, a guitarists' anthem for the ages. After The Outlaws disbanded, he brought his formidable skills to a reformed Lynyrd Skynyrd for nearly a decade, adding his layer to that band's legacy. He later revived The Outlaws, ensuring the music played on until his death. Thomasson's playing was less about bluesy grit and more about crystalline, emotional flight, earning him the fitting nickname 'The Flame'.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Hughie was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hughie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Hughie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2007Died at 55
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Wrote and performed the guitar epic 'Green Grass and High Tides', a cornerstone of Southern rock and a benchmark for guitar duels.
- Inducted into the Fender Hall of Fame for his influential work as a guitarist and singer with The Outlaws.
- Served as a lead guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1996 to 2005, contributing to several of their post-reunion albums.
- Co-founded The Outlaws, a band that achieved platinum success and became one of the flagship acts of Southern rock.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'The Flame', was given to him by a radio DJ due to his fiery red hair and intense guitar playing style.
He was known for using a distinctive 'chiming' guitar tone, often achieved with a Fender Stratocaster and clean amplifier settings.
Beyond guitar, he was a key harmony vocalist for The Outlaws, contributing to their signature layered sound.
“Green grass and high tides forever.”
