For the past two decades, multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artist Rob Thomas has made it a tradition to kick off the new year with a series of special benefit concerts supporting his Sidewalk Angels Foundation.

Founded with his wife, Marisol, the nonprofit provides critical funding to more than 20 no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, with all proceeds from the shows going directly to the cause.

Thomas, of course, needs little introduction. From fronting Matchbox Twenty to a wildly successful solo career, he’s been a defining voice in modern pop and rock. His collaborations are just as legendary, including the iconic 1999 hit “Smooth,” which he co-wrote and then recorded with Carlos Santana. The song spent 12 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts, earned three Grammy Awards, and was once ranked as the second most successful song in Billboard history.

On Friday, Thomas will bring his stripped-down, acoustic Sidewalk Angels performance to Wind Creek Event Center. The intimate evening will feature career-spanning hits, deep album cuts, and personal stories behind the songs that shaped his journey.

I recently caught up with Rob Thomas to talk about the Sidewalk Angels show, Matchbox Twenty, memorable moments and more in this new interview.

Q, What inspired Sidewalk Angels?

Thomas: When we started off my wife and I would go to this place in Middletown, N.Y., called Pets Alive and would donate money and our time. We began to realize we were missing an opportunity with all of the platforms I had. We thought if we wanted to do something on a bigger scale, we could figure out a way to help out with all of the organizations. The foundation is still small in that it’s still me, my wife and her mother. The thing that helps make it work is that my business managers donate their time. So we don’t have the overhead of salaries or giant galas that we have to pay for. If we raise a million dollars in a year, then a million dollars goes directly to no kill shelters and animal rescues.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Rob Thomas by Clicking Here!