John Charles Thomas Romany Hall- 21066 North Outer Hwy 18

John Charles Thomas, born in 1891 in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, became an established star of Broadway musicals.  He made his operatic debut in 1924, singing baritone with the Royal Opera in Brussels and the New York Metropolitan Opera House.  During WWII he performed at military bases and Victory Bond rallies.   Thomas introduced "Home on the Range" and many other popular American songs and was the first to sing "The Lord’s Prayer."  When Thomas and his wife Dorothy moved to Apple Valley, they had two houses constructed. The Rancherias home, off of Highway 18 built in the early 1950's, was used by Thomas to teach music lessons and rehearse his newly developed popular singing group The Romanies.  A pioneering figure in radio, Thomas started the KAVR Apple Valley Ranchos station which was broadcast from its studio inside the Apple Valley Inn. The program opened each day with Thomas singing "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning," and closed with him singing "The Lord’s Prayer."