Thursday, November 2, 2006
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Thursday, November 2, 2006 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
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Playwright visits city By SUE WATSON Lois Swanee, curator of the Marshall County Historical Museum, visited with Greg Thornquist and Dr. Ben Martin several weeks ago. Martin introduced the New York playwright to Swanee and Thornquist presented the museum with a demo-CD of 18 songs that accompany his two-act broadway musical, “By the Blues”. Thornquist called Holly Springs his home away from home. His son is a resident at the Baddour Center in Senatobia. “I’ve been coming here eight years because of the Baddour Center,” he said. The center is home to 180 mildly to moderately intellectually challenged adults. Thornquist’s son Aaron sings with “The Miracles” at Baddour. Thornquist, a resident of Greenwich Village, and a producer are trying to get the play on broadway in New York City and is auditioning the play for investors. Martin, whom Thornquest met recently in Holly Springs, has been helping Thornquist look about the area for people who are either old blues singers or who knew them personally. “I’m looking to talk with people who played the blues in the 1950s and ’60s,” he said. “I want to talk to people still living who lived it (the blues).” Thornquist said meeting and talking with original blues players will help gain perspective on the language and life of blues musicians of the 1950s. “The story is about a love triangle, a murder and a ghost,” he said. “It’s wild. “What I am doing now is finding investors and looking for authentic story material (speech patterns). I’m after minutia.” Thornquist was born in Southern California, which qualifies himself to be called a southerner, he said. He was raised by an African American nanny and a story-telling grandmother from Eastland, Texas. “With a glass of whiskey, she (grandmother) could tell a good Southern folk tale, what she called wicked stories,” he said. “The wicked character was up to no good and eventually got caught up with.” Thornquist spent 12 years in Nashville in recording studios. He recorded the music and voice for the television show “The Brady Bunch” and recorded some of country singer Lee Greenwood’s songs. His interests range from pop, to country, to blues, to gospel. He described himself as “an American musical gumbo walking around in one person.” His producer for “By the Blues” is Rob Galbraith, who has 21 number 1 hits with country singer Ronnie Milsap. For a glimpse of “By the Blues” visit www.bytheblues.com. Thornquist can be contacted via the Internet at greg@bytheblues.com. If you have further interest in meeting Thornquist call The South Reporter. Thornquist visits the area about once a month. Report News:
(662) 252-4261 or south@dixie-net.com
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