All about this artist
Biography:
Born William Robert Thornton, 4 August 1955, Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. Raised in Alpine, Arkansas, Thornton's father was a high school basketball coach, his mother a psychic. From early childhood, he played drums in a country music band led by an uncle.
As a teenager he was influenced by rock 'n' roll, British 60s rock bands and by the Allman Brothers. His own bands included the McCoveys, Stone Cold Fever, Hot 'Lanta and Nothin' Doin', the latter with Mike and Nick Shipp. This band evolved into Tres Hombres, a ZZ Top tribute band.
Meanwhile, his working life was mainly a succession of manual jobs, chiefly in factories in Arkansas and Texas. He also briefly studied psychology at Henderson State University. From 1984, Thornton lived in Los Angeles, concentrating on developing an acting career.
He worked in television, playing small roles, including appearing in the situation comedy, Evening Shade. He also wrote screenplays, sometimes in collaboration with Tom Epperson, developing concepts generated by people and incidents in his life.
Among the Thornton-Epperson screenplays that clicked were One False Move (1992) and Don't Look Back (1996). Meanwhile, Thornton played eye-catching roles in films, and also wrote, directed and starred in Sling Blade (1996), which brought him an Oscar nomination as Best Actor and an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (the script began as a short film he had made a few years earlier).
Thereafter, Thornton's star rose rapidly and he made many more films, as writer, director and actor, winning accolades and recognition as an outstanding filmmaker of the day. He also formed his own production company in which he is partnered by country singer Dwight Yoakam.
Throughout his demanding film schedule, Thornton has continued to make music, appearing live in the USA and Europe, and on record. He writes much of his gritty, evocative roots-orientated material, with co-writers including Marty Stuart, Brad Davis and Randy Mitchell.
His releases include Private Radio (co-written and co-produced by Stuart), The Edge Of The World (2003) and Hobo (2005).
