Paul Thorn will be appearing at Jasper Foothills Festival for the third time this Saturday, at 6:30 p.m. Thorn has a large fan base here in Walker County and is always a crowd pleaser.
Paul shares his memories of previous Foothills Festivals, “I remember having a good time at the Foothills Festival. It’s where I met my new guitar player, Chris Simmons. There were big shoes to fill when Bill Hinds got ready to retire. I remember we heard Chris playing guitar and singing at the festival and that’s where I met him. He’s a great player, good guy and fun to be around. He stepped up for us. And I like the funnel cakes.”
The first time I ever heard Paul Thorn was on a road trip to south Alabama visiting friends on a beautiful late summer’s day. My late husband Rick and I had just bought “Mission Temple Fireworks Stand,” and we were listening to it on repeat, driving through small towns and cow pastures. The music was so good, we never thought about speed limits, but that changed when flashing blue lights appeared behind us. Apparently, the local police were not interested in great music, as he handed Rick the ticket and said, “y’all have a good day.”
We fell in love with Paul’s music that day and the ticket didn’t dampen our spirits one bit. We continued to buy Paul Thorn cds and attended his concerts whenever we could.
Paul Thorn’s music was familiar yet nothing like anything we had ever heard. His songs shared everyday people and events through his eyes, often with a twist of humor and thought-provoking phrases. Songs covered subjects such as strippers, pimps, ministers, broken hearts, trailer parks and memories, all with the special Thorn twist.
The son of a Pentecostal minister, growing up in rural Mississippi in a close-knit family that included some of his memorable song characters, he felt the calling of music, like some feel the calling of the gospel. His fans are happy he answered the call.
His latest cd, “Never Too Late to Call” features a duet with his daughter Kitty Jones, “Sapphire Dreams” and was written by the father and daughter. The title song, “Never Too Late to Call” was written for his sister Deborah who died in 2018. It is personal and poignant and a loving tribute to his sister.
Local Paul Thorn fan, Andrew Dollar shares his thought about his love of Paul and his music. “I love his music because it connects me with my roots. We were both raised by fundamentalist COG Pentecostal preacher/pastors. I totally relate to his humor, even the most subtle that goes over the heads of those who haven’t been exposed to sometimes ugly under belly of the church.
He kept his Huey Lewis album hid in the closet, listening to it when his mom and dad went for groceries. He wasn’t allowed to attend concerts until a stranger who bought him a plane ticket to California discovered him, and he attended his first concert opening for Sting. I relate to his courage to question. Paul and I have much in common, I think not because of the questions but because of the answers we have discovered.””
Remember, as always, The Foothills Festival is downtown and free. Ya’ll come give Paul a listen.
