One of the South's most creative, intuitive musicians, Sonny Thornton is a master drummer who has been first call for a
span of more than fifty years. Born in the District of Columbia, he was exposed
to music at a very young age by his mother Margaret Ball Thornton. Margaret
received her education at Howard University and finished her Master's in Music
Education at Columbia in NYC. After forty years of teaching in Columbia SC, she
was inducted into the SC Hall of fame as a master music educator and
incidentally was the first African American woman to receive this honor in SC. Living in New York City while his mother furthered her education, Sonny heard
the music at one of its sources. After moving to New Orleans, he learned from
the players and atmosphere in the Crescent City, widely acknowledged as the
birthplace of jazz. While living there, he developed a friendship with Ed
Blackwell, one of the most influential drummers of the Twentieth Century. Ed's
influence on Sonny's concept of music is undeniable. Thornton is extremely
sensitive to the needs of the music and can be understated in his approach just
as Blackwell was. Sonny's sense of freedom and his melodic style of soloing
also sets him apart from most drummers performing today. Upon relocating to
South Carolina, Sonny embarked on his long career of making music in the purest
sense. He has performed with innumerable artists, both regionally and
nationally known. Groups of almost every format from organ trios to big bands.
He has played regularly with Bill Gerhardt, Sharon LaMotte, Mike Holstein, Moss
Mack, Max Hightower, Shane Pruitt, John Valerio, Ian Brachitta, Michael Jefry
Stevens, Aaron Bowen, Troy House, Shannon Hoover, Elaine Garrett, Loretta
Holloway, Dale Burke, Keith Davis, Richard Shulman as well as Skip Pearson, Roy
Hamilton, Laverne Baker and Eddie Harris to name just a few. When you
experience one of his performances, you will hear one of the world's truly
gifted musicians, Sonny Thornton.