Thomas, known to everyone as Tommy, Cowan was born on 6 April 1946 in Newmarket in the rural parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. He joined a group called The Merricoles which became The Jamaicans. Tommy began to branch out in 1974 and, with Byron Lee's full support, started releasing records on his own Starapple label and he set up the Talent Corporation the following year along with Gayman Alberga and his colleague from Dynamic Warwick Lyn. Talent Corporation had distributed Bunny Wailer's and Peter Tosh's first solo albums, and Bob Marley's 'Natty Dread' single. Tommy became more and more involved with Bob Marley & The Wailers and toured Europe with them in 1979, then travelled with them to Africa where he was compere for the now legendary Zimbabwe Independence Day Concert at Salisbury. Talent Corporation's services had been promoting live performances since the early seventies, Tommy was not originally invloved in the Reggae Sunsplash although he would eventually become the Master of Ceremonies and the representaive for these now legendary outdoor reggae concerts until today. After many years as a devout Rastafarian Tommy returned to the Christian faith in 1996, and he has established Jamaica's leading gospel music organisation, Glory Music. He is married to Carlene Davis.