Ask American Profile

B.J. Thomas, Emeril Lagasse, Laura San Giacomo

I’d like to know more about singer B.J. Thomas. I heard he has a new album. What’s he doing these days?
—Barb H., Nebraska

“I did 110 one-nighters last year, and I’ll do about 100 this year,” says Thomas, 58. In March, he returned to the studio to record a Christmas album that will be released later this year. Last year, he released You Call That a Mountain, which contained his old hits and new songs. “It had a country flavor, but it was also pretty pop,” Thomas says. He lives in Arlington, Texas, with his wife of 32 years, Gloria. They have three adult children: Paige, 31; Nora, 23; and Erin, 22. His biggest hobby is golf, although he doesn’t get to play that much because of touring. “I really do enjoy being home with my family, so I spend a lot of what I call ‘quality time’ with Gloria.” Thomas was born in Hugo, Okla., (pop. 6,008) and raised in Rosenberg, Texas, (pop. 26,442). He had his first hit in 1966 with the Hank Williams song I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry. The five-time Grammy winner is known for such hits as Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head and Hooked on a Feeling.

Chef Emeril Lagasse always talks about his mother, Hilda, but he never says anything about a wife. Is he married?
—Lemay H., South Carolina

Emeril Lagasse became a national personality in 1993, when he joined the Food Network. He recently completed his 1,000th episode. He also can be seen every Friday on Good Morning America. The chef has a new wife to talk about on the shows; he married Alden Lovelace last May in New Orleans. Lagasse owns six restaurants, including three in New Orleans, and oversees 1,000 employees. He was raised in Fall River, Mass., (pop. 90,865) where he worked for a Portuguese bakery and learned how to make breads and pastries. He passed up a music scholarship to pursue his cooking passion. After studying at Johnson & Wales University’s culinary program and training in France, he returned to the United States to work in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia before settling in New Orleans.

What’s next for actress Laura San Giacomo?
—David S., New Jersey

Laura San Giacomo, 38, recently completed the cable movie Sister Mary Explains It All. She also stars as Maya Gallo in the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role. San Giacomo was born in West Orange, N.J., (pop. 39,103) and raised in the nearby town of Denville. She caught the acting bug in high school, where she had the lead in several plays, and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at Carnegie-Mellon University. Her movie credits include Pretty Woman, Quigley Down Under, Stuart Saves His Family, and Under Suspicion. But San Giacomo decided to concentrate on television after the birth of her son, because the medium gives her a more regular work schedule and she doesn’t have to travel as much. She’s co-starred in the miniseries The Stand and the television movies For Their Own Good and The Right to Remain Silent, for which she earned a CableACE Award nomination.

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