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James Thomas (blues musician)

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James "Son" Thomas (October 14, 1926 – June 26, 1993)[1][2] was an American blues musician, gravedigger and sculptor from Leland, Mississippi.

Life and career

Born in Eden, Mississippi,[1][2] Thomas was known as a folk artist for his sculptures made from un-fired clay which he dug out of the banks of the Yazoo River. His most famous sculpted images were skulls (often featuring actual human teeth) which mirrored his job as a gravedigger and his often stated philosophy that "we all end up in the clay". In 1985, Thomas had his work featured in the prestigious Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. where he was introduced to Mrs. Nancy Reagan then First Lady. Thomas' skulls can also be found on display in several blues museums throughout Mississippi including the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale and the small Leland Blues Museum in Leland. Thomas played at numerous blues festivals and private parties throughout the area including the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival in Greenville.

His later performances saw him accompanied by Swiss harmonica player Walter Liniger. Thomas was recorded by several small record labels and is probably best known for his album Gateway to the Delta which was recorded by Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, although he remains an obscure figure outside of dedicated blues communities. He appeared in the films Delta Blues Singer: James "Sonny Ford" Thomas in 1970 and Give My Poor Heart Ease: Mississippi Delta Bluesmen in 1975, plus the short Mississippi Delta Blues in 1974.[1] He died in 1993 in Greenville, Mississippi from a combination and emphysema and a stroke.[2] Thomas is buried in Leland and memorialized by a headstone placed in 1996 by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund and paid for by John Fogerty. His epitaph consists of lyrics from one of his songs. His son, Pat Thomas, continues to play and perform his father's songs.

Discografy

Sources

  • William Ferris - Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues 2009 The University of North Carolina Press, ISBN-10: 0807833258, ISBN-13: 978-0807833254 (with CD and DVD with field recordings and video of James Son Thomas)
  • Robert Nicholson; Mississippi Blues Today ! Da Capo Press (1999) ISBN-10: 0306808838 ISBN-13: 978-0306808838

References

  1. ^ a b c Allmusic biography
  2. ^ a b c Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed July 2010

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