10 Things You Didn't Know About Richard Thomas

The 2019 Christmas concerts are almost here!

This year’s guests will include actor Richard Thomas and singer and actress Kelli O’Hara. The concerts will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 12–14, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT.

As we look forward to the concerts, here are 10 facts about one of our two talented guests, Richard Thomas.

1. He Made His Broadway Debut at Age 7

Richard Thomas was just seven years old when he made his Broadway debut in Sunrise at Campobello in 1958. On Studio 10, Thomas was asked if making his Broadway debut at such a young age was slightly terryifying, to which Thomas laughed, “No, it wasn’t terrifying at all! That’s how you know you have the [acting] virus … when you can’t wait to get out there.”

2. The Phrase “Good Night, John-Boy” Based on His Characater Became a Cultural Phenomenon

When the 1972 series The Waltons started they were far back in the ratings and much of the cast never expected that they would be aired past the first season. The program was going up against the extremely popular shows The Mod Squad and The Flip Wilson Show. By the end of the first season, the show skyrocketed in the ratings and fans took to the ending sequence where the family says good night to each other. To this day, people still say “Good night, John-Boy” to Thomas. When asked if the phrase has followed him throughout his career he said, “It’ll happen today at some point. It’ll happen several times today before the end of the day. It’ll be on my tombstone I’m sure.”

If you’re over 40, take a trip down memory lane. If you’re not, here’s some quick history about John-Boy and The Waltons.