Bobi Thomas is a singer/songwriter. Her voice is instantly identifiable and completely unforgettable. Her style is warm, intimate and uniquely personal.

Bobi grew up listening to a wide range of music, “Mamma listened to country music when Daddy wasn’t around, then when he came home we’d listen to everything from classical music and Billie Holliday to Dizzy Gillespie and old Frank Sinatra tunes. My personal favorites are really too numerous to list completely, but they include Billie Holliday, Bonnie Rait, Peggy Lee, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, The Beatles, The Eagles, Journey and just about every Motown artist ever recorded.”

Her father’s career in the Navy made it necessary to relocate every two years, which was difficult for the entire family. “I was always the new kid in school, the new kid in the neighborhood. I think that loneliness was the main reason I clung so tightly to the music – it was the one thing nobody could take away from me.”

Eventually the Thomas family settled down in Chula Vista, a small suburb just a little south of San Diego.


The Heritage folk club, located just up the coast in Mission Beach had long been a local hang-out for young performers. It fostered the talents of many very successful writers including Jack Tempchin (Peaceful Easy Feeling), Tony McCashen (Hitchcock Railway), and Tom Waits (Ol’ 55). Other performers used the stage as a stepping stone to musical careers in other cities such as Bob White, Ted Staak, Martin Henry, Bob Webb, and Ray Bierl (Hillbillies From Mars).

Bobi and award-winning banjo player Pam Ostergren formed the traditional folk duo “Pam Ostergren & Bobi Thomas”.

Pam and Bobi toured throughout the contiguous United States playing at many small clubs including “The Ark” in Ann Arbor Michigan, “Izzy Young’s Folklore Center” in Manhattan New York, and “The Philadelphia Folk Lore Center” in Pennsylvania, to mention just a few.


Eventually they disbanded and Bobi moved to the LA area. She sang at many local clubs, including LASS, John Braheny & Len Chandler’s famed Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase. Bobi continued to perform in and around the area, ultimately honing her skills as a background vocalist in the recording studios of Los Angeles.

Today Bobi Thomas and her husband Mac Elsensohn are happily married and live on a small farm just outside Nashville Tennessee. Together they are making beautiful music.