Playing his music

By Anastasia Harbuck

Published: May 8, 2008

It all started with a ukulele.
That’s what Thomas Hoggle claims put him on the road of his singing and songwriting career. Fooling around with his brother’s little guitar, 9-year-old Hoggle taught himself to play. It wasn’t long before the Tuscaloosa native began performing on ordinary guitars and writing songs of his own.
Hoggle now lives in Baker Hill with his wife, Pam, but this federal inspector for the Department of Agriculture hasn’t put down his guitar - or his pen. Hoggle now has a recording contract with Paramount Group in Nashville, Tenn. The recording company has bought five of Hoggle’s songs and the songwriter’s big dream is to listen to them played back on the radio by some of his favorite country/rock stars.
Five songs written by Hoggle: “Long Gone”, “End up Singing the Blue”, “Sweet Little Lies and Alibis”, “Hot Rod Honey and Honky Tonk Baby” and “Po’ Man’s Blues” have all been placed on an album by Paramount to be sent to performers to play.
“I’ve wrote songs say about 30 years. One-and-a-half years ago, I decided to do something with my songs,” says Hoggle.
That’s when Hoggle decided to send his first song, “Long Gone”, to Paramount Group. Since that time, Paramount has accepted lyrics written by Hoggle who says a mixture of circumstances (including his big brother’s ukulele) influenced him to play and write songs.
“I guess I started out like everybody else - singing gospel music,” he says. “Several people on his (father’s) side was musicians.”
By 13, Hoggle was playing small shows at parties and country clubs. Over the years, he’s kept his guitar skills as well as his passion for writing songs and music in general. He says artists and groups like George Jones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, Kenny Rogers and The Beatles have influenced him to write music. John Lennon has had an especially big impact on Hoggle’s style.
“Truly, deep down, he was a musician,” he says of Lennon.
The Eagles also have a lot of sway with Hoggle. Some of his favorite songs include “Hotel California” and “Get Over It.”
Hoggle’s songs are also influenced by his own life.
“I don’t write ‘Dick and Jane songs’,” he laughs.
One song, “End up Singing the Blue”, was inspired by the flat-top guitar his older brother gave him to replace the ukulele.
Hoggle writes constantly. He says he might take six months to a year to write one song. His job as inspector at Keystone Equity Group in Baker Hill allows him time on the assembly lines.
“It’s a time you can really think,” he chuckles. “Then I go in my office and jot it down. There’s not a minute a day I’m not trying to think of something to write.”
Hoggle’s dream is to make it big on the country music scene, though he says his songs could crossover into rock as well. He would love to listen to artists and bands like Bon Jovi, Hank Williams Jr., Alan Jackson and Trace Adkins sing his songs. He says he often dreams of cutting an album himself.
“I want to get in the door with these songs,” says Hoggle. “It’s just a dream, but it can happen.”