Margaret Thornton

That the blues vocalist Margaret Thornton recorded only one song in her life is, unfortunately, a fact that is off by only half; the correct number is two, but in terms of quality impact, it might as well have been dozens. Her recordings of the tunes "Texas Bound Blues" and "Jockey Blues," cut in 1927 for the short-lived Black Patti label, are among the dozens of recordings of early female-blues artists rescued from obscurity by archivist producers such as Document's Johnny Parth. As a result, her efforts have been assured a place in recording history, indeed inspiring one critic to remark that such critics give a double meaning to the concept of CD "jewel cases." Thornton's crown jewels were recorded in collaboration with pianist Blind James Beck, a performer even more obscure than the singer he accompanies, and even harder to hear due to the primitive recording equipment in use at this time. Nothing is known about her personal background, but the family name of Thornton was certainly acquired via the slave-holding, widespread Thornton dynasty that arrived on the American shores early on in the country's history via ships such as the Devon. While the most prolific Margaret Thornton is a romance novelist, and the most socially conscious Margaret Thornton a crusader in the battle against draconic drug laws, the blues singer is the one who inspires the most "might-have-been" thinking, such as this comment from an impressed blues critic who wanted more: "Anyone who could have as much fun with a song as she does with 'Jockey Blues' should've gotten more opportunity." Like many such recordings that have struck a resonant chord with blues fans, there are actually more compilation albums containing Thornton tracks than actual songs by the artist, normally one of the highlights of whatever collection they appear. ~ Eugene Chadbourne