Roché-Thomas

Warren Roché met Michael Thomas in the sixth grade where they were studying the trumpet. Both went on to studio careers and together they formed a valve oil company (Roché-Thomas) to make a little money on the side. Both men also played in the band that performed with Lou Rawls. That gig provided Warren the opportunity to work with HB Barnum, who arranged for Warren to conduct shows for Don Ho, and introduced him to studio work in Los Angeles. Warren’s trumpet can be heard on over a thousand recordings including those on the Motown label and such 1970s hits as Barry White’s “Can’t

Michael Thomas grew up in Los Angles where he took to music at an early age.  He formed a swing band and became a professional musician.  Along the way he began making his own valve oil and gave it away to friends for years before he decided he should form a company to sell the product and to create other products to sell to musicians.  His first partner was a friend named Warren Roche and thus the birth of the Roche-Thomas Company! He represented several brands in addition to his own line of products, including Schagerl Trumpets and Irving Bush Mouthpieces.