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225:. His most famous sculpted images were skulls (often featuring actual human teeth), which mirrored his job as a gravedigger and his often stated philosophy that "we all end up in the clay". In 1985, his work was featured in the
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on
October 14, 1926. While working in the fields, he began listening to blues on the radio. As a self-taught guitarist, he learned to play songs from older blues guitarists Elmore Davis and
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While working as a gravedigger, he was also a folk artist, making sculptures from unfired clay, which he dug out of the banks of the
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187:. His epitaph consists of lyrics from one of his songs. His son, Pat Thomas, continues to play and perform his father's songs.
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Thomas became known after appearing in films made by the Center for
Southern Folklore in the 1970s. He appeared in the films
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Corcoran
Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, January 15, 1982 - May 15, 1983, curated by Jane Livingston and John Beardsley.
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player Walter
Liniger. Thomas was recorded by several small record labels and is probably best known for his album
211:
performed with Thomas at regular engagements. Together they recorded "Once I Had a Car", which is included on the
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on June 26, 1993. He is buried in Bogue
Cemetery in Leland, and memorialized by a headstone placed in 1996 by the
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326:, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, September 18, 2022 – March 26, 2023, curated by Harry Cooper.
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Mississippi State
Historical Museum, Jackson, Mississippi, January 22, 1980 - May 25, 1980.
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237:, then the First Lady. Thomas's skulls are on display in the Delta Blues Museum, in
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Gateway to the Delta: Delta Blues Singer James (Sonny Ford) Thomas,
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Hall, Russell S.; Nowell, Princella W.; Childress, Stacy (2000).
524:"James (Son) Thomas Dies at 66; Delta Blues Guitarist and Singer"
827:. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson. pp. 129–131.
362:(with CD and DVD with field recordings and video of Thomas)
252:
In later performances, Thomas was accompanied by the Swiss
748:"JAMES THOMAS, 66, MISSISSIPPI BLUES SINGER AND GUITARIST"
133:(October 14, 1926 – June 26, 1993) was an American
352:
Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the
Mississippi Blues
799:"Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South"
218:(1977). In the 1980s, Thomas recorded internationally.
459:. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181.
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324:
Called To Create: Black
Artists of the American South
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Give My Poor Heart Ease: Mississippi Delta
Bluesmen
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288:Mississippi Delta & South Tennessee Blues
216:Mississippi Delta & South Tennessee Blues
197:Delta Blues Singer: James "Sonny Ford" Thomas
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314:, (1982), Flying High Records - FH 650, (LP)
842:Illustrated James "Son" Thomas discography
31:
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886:Respiratory disease deaths in Mississippi
160:Thomas was honored with a marker on the
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308:, LP edit, Center for Southern Folklore
302:, LP edit, Center for Southern Folklore
695:"James "Son" Thomas Historical Marker"
673:"James "Son" Thomas with Nancy Reagan"
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354:. University of North Carolina Press.
241:, and the Highway 61 Blues Museum, in
911:People from Yazoo County, Mississippi
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457:The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music
400:"James "Son" Thomas | Biography"
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330:Black Folk Art in America, 1930-1980,
153:. He then worked as a gravedigger in
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825:Black Folk Art in America, 1930-1980
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517:
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431:"The Dead Rock Stars Club 1992–1993"
823:Livingston, Jane; Beardsley, John.
336:Made by Hand: Mississippi Folk Art,
296:(1979), Italian anthology (LP only)
290:(1979), Italian anthology (LP only)
921:20th-century American male artists
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941:Black & Blue Records artists
881:Blues musicians from Mississippi
167:Thomas died at the age of 66 in
936:People from Leland, Mississippi
931:20th-century American musicians
916:20th-century American sculptors
491:The Guinness Who's Who of Blues
774:"Center for Southern Folklore"
573:Washington County, Mississippi
268:. The film based on his life,
16:American sculptor and musician
1:
233:, where he was introduced to
522:Pace, Eric (July 12, 1993).
306:Gateway to the Delta 1986–87
294:I Got the Blues This Morning
282:The Blues Are Alive and Well
967:
896:Sculptors from Mississippi
648:"Thomas, James "Son Ford""
365:Nicholson, Robert (1999).
266:Holly Springs, Mississippi
951:Southland Records artists
901:American outsider artists
723:"James "Son Ford" Thomas"
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906:Artists from Mississippi
652:Mississippi Encyclopedia
435:Thedeadrockstarsclub.com
367:Mississippi Blues Today!
300:Highway 61 Blues 1968–82
164:in Leland, Mississippi.
946:Mississippi Blues Trail
926:American male sculptors
554:Mississippi Blues Trail
455:Du Noyer, Paul (2003).
239:Clarksdale, Mississippi
227:Corcoran Gallery of Art
205:Mississippi Delta Blues
169:Greenville, Mississippi
162:Mississippi Blues Trail
151:Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
137:musician and sculptor.
92:Greenville, Mississippi
57:James "Son Ford" Thomas
576:. Arcadia Publishing.
181:Mt. Zion Memorial Fund
47:Background information
891:Deaths from emphysema
876:Delta blues musicians
312:Son Down On The Delta
39:Columbus, Mississippi
37:Thomas performing in
778:Southernfolklore.com
319:Selected exhibitions
258:Gateway to the Delta
675:. William R. Ferris
496:Guinness Publishing
494:(Second ed.).
243:Leland, Mississippi
145:Thomas was born in
528:The New York Times
131:James "Son" Thomas
602:The Country Blues
583:978-0-7385-0655-5
284:(1969), anthology
213:compilation album
155:Washington County
147:Eden, Mississippi
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75:Eden, Mississippi
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207:. In the 1970s,
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836:External links
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53:Also known as
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847:James Thomas
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808:November 21,
806:. Retrieved
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781:. Retrieved
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756:. Retrieved
752:Sun Sentinel
751:
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730:. Retrieved
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702:. Retrieved
699:www.hmdb.org
698:
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677:. Retrieved
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655:. Retrieved
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630:. Retrieved
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605:. Retrieved
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598:"Pat Thomas"
592:
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553:
550:"Son Thomas"
544:
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489:
486:Colin Larkin
456:
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438:. Retrieved
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409:. Retrieved
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185:John Fogerty
166:
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87:(1993-06-26)
25:James Thomas
18:
871:1993 deaths
866:1926 births
727:www.nga.gov
398:Wynn, Ron.
276:Discography
223:Yazoo River
209:Eddie Cusic
135:Delta blues
109:Instruments
103:Delta blues
860:Categories
783:August 12,
632:August 13,
440:August 12,
429:Doc Rock.
411:August 12,
382:References
247:Greenville
68:1926-10-14
679:August 4,
536:0362-4331
254:harmonica
173:emphysema
141:Biography
405:AllMusic
350:(2009).
803:Nga.gov
627:Wirz.de
342:Sources
171:, from
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203:, and
191:Career
177:stroke
175:and a
118:vocals
115:Guitar
99:Genres
94:, U.S.
77:, U.S.
851:IMDb
810:2022
785:2015
760:2022
734:2022
706:2022
681:2012
659:2022
634:2015
609:2022
578:ISBN
532:ISSN
500:ISBN
461:ISBN
442:2015
413:2015
371:ISBN
356:ISBN
82:Died
62:Born
849:at
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
