Ross, with whom he performed for years as The Thomas Brothers, is still touring as a solo musical act.
The Thomas Brothers ended up headlining at a theater in Branson where The Osmonds were also headlining.“ They were looking for guys to join their group and travel with them. We performed alongside the group … but not exactly part of the group. We did that for a few years.”
As his life on the road became more and more centered in Branson, Rhett started carving seriously while working part-time in a shop owned by his mentor, nationally-known master woodcarver Peter Engler, who died in 2013.“ I just fell in love with carving.”
Where are the nearest restrooms? How late do the shops stay open? Where can I take a beautiful scenic drive? Our friendly staff can answer all of these questions and more at the Brown County Visitors Center at the corner of Van Buren and Main Street. Stop by for advice, recommendations, and official souvenirs.
“ Queen Esther” is the latest work in progress.
“ I was on the road for years, traveling four to five months out of the year. I wanted to stop doing that. We started searching for places to live. While it was a fun life, it was also a lot of work. We lived in nine different states before we moved here. We felt like gypsies.”
There comes a time when you need to find home, Rhett adds. Every time they visited Wendi’ s sister, who lives in Columbus, Indiana, they came to Nashville.“ Three years ago, we felt like we fit. It’ s artsy, it has music, and there’ s some future here that I’ m excited for. I think having the shop has really grounded us. We’ re going to make it work.”
Rhett carves in the shop every day it is open. He is now at work on“ Queen Esther,” and has recently finished“ Balance,” which rises from a smooth stone base. The finely carved face is filled with bliss as she reaches skyward. Each finger is finely articulated as though Thomas’ s medium were porcelain or bronze rather than wood.
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July / August 2016 • Our Brown County 21