Hunter Thomas is a singer-songwriter and a Free The Night musician partner. After damaging his voice playing in smoke-filled bars, Thomas knew he not only wanted to protect his own voice, but the health of his friends and fellow performers. “I play long shows and smoky bars take a toll on my vocal chords,” says Thomas. At 27 years old, he has a long career ahead of him.
As a member of the Oklahoma music scene, Thomas sees firsthand the impact smoke-filled bars and clubs have on performers. “I have friends playing shows across Oklahoma and they definitely prioritize smokefree venues,” says Thomas. “We love playing shows and don’t want to risk cancelling because we inhaled a bunch of smoke the night before. Encouraging venues to be smokefree with Free The Night is one way we can support local musicians and keep the scene thriving.”
Tonight, May 3rd, Thomas is performing at the renowned Calf Fry music festival in Stillwater. Calf Fry is hosted by Tumbleweed Dance Hall and Concert Venue, a Free the Night partner which has prohibited smoking indoors since August 2018. “Performing at Calf Fry is a huge deal for me,” says Thomas. “I feel especially proud to be a part of the first festival since Tumbleweed went smokefree.”
When employees of smoke-filled bars and clubs are 20-30% more likely to develop lung cancer, having an ally like Thomas is invaluable. Today, he is far from alone in his commitment to smokefree bars and clubs in Oklahoma – 43 venues and 47 musicians have partnered with Free The Night to date.
“I’ve got a big career ahead of me. 30 years from now, I still want to be able to sing to an audience all night,” Thomas shared. “I’m not going to be able to do that if my voice, my lungs, and my heart are all damaged from second-hand smoke in our bars.”
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