Bonnie Thornton

Elizabeth "Bonnie" Thornton (c. 1871-March 13, 1920) was an American vaudeville comedian[1] and singer. She was considered "one of vaudeville's first headliners"[2] and a "popular seriocomic singer".[3]

Bonnie Thornton (circa 1896)

Thornton was born as Elizabeth Cox around 1871[2] in the old 4th Ward of New York.[4] In 1885, she married the songwriter and singer James Thornton after a courtship that lasted two years.[5] She began her theater career at age 17 as a seriocomic, performing sentimental and comic songs, and appearing in concert halls.[4]

By 1888,[5] Thornton made her debut at Tony Pastor's Theatre as a singing comedian. In 1893, she began performing in vaudeville as a double act with James Thornton, her husband.[3] She sang James Thornton's music in her performances, and helped make a number of his pieces popular during the time, including the song, "My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon".[4][6] She performed this new song during the start of the 1893 season at Tony Pastor's, along with the song "After Dark".[7]

Thornton became a local favorite at Tony Pastor's, and was sometimes a featured singer on his theater bills. She continued to be an entertainer at Tony's until at least 1903.[7] Thornton also performed in variety acts on stage, and vaudeville on tour.[4] She entertained at Allen's Bal Mabille on Bleecker Street, where James was also a singing waiter.[8]

In the 1910s, she and Jim divorced,[3] although at the time of her death, they were reported as husband and wife.[4]

Around 1915, Thornton began to run a millinery business in New York City, which she operated until her death. Her last vaudeville performance was with her husband in 1919. She died of double pneumonia in New York City on March 13, 1920.[4]

References

Mantle, Burns, ed. (1920). The Best Plays of 1919-20. Small, Maynard & Company. p. 466.
Slide, Anthony (1994). The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-0108-1. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007). Vaudeville Old & New. Routledge. p. 1104. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
"Bonnie Thornton". Variety. 58 (4): 28. 19 March 1920. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
"The Saga of Jim Thornton". The New York Times. 1 December 1929. p. X3. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
Ewen, David (1961). History of popular music. New York, Barnes & Noble. p. 54. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
Fields, Armond (2007). Tony Pastor, Father of Vaudeville. McFarland. pp. 147, 153, 182. ISBN 978-0-7864-3054-3. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
Marks, Edward B. (Edward Bennett) (1934). They All Sang: From Tony Pastor to Rudy Vallée. The Viking Press. pp. 77–79. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

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[:0-1] Mantle, Burns, ed. (1920). The Best Plays of 1919-20. Small, Maynard & Company. p. 466.

[:2-2] Slide, Anthony (1994). The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-0108-1. Retrieved 16 November 2020.

[:1-3] Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007). Vaudeville Old & New. Routledge. p. 1104. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2. Retrieved 16 November 2020.

[:4-4] "Bonnie Thornton". Variety. 58 (4): 28. 19 March 1920. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

[:3-5] "The Saga of Jim Thornton". The New York Times. 1 December 1929. p. X3. Retrieved 12 July 2021.

[:5-6] Ewen, David (1961). History of popular music. New York, Barnes & Noble. p. 54. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

[:6-7] Fields, Armond (2007). Tony Pastor, Father of Vaudeville. McFarland. pp. 147, 153, 182. ISBN 978-0-7864-3054-3. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

[:7-8] Marks, Edward B. (Edward Bennett) (1934). They All Sang: From Tony Pastor to Rudy Vallée. The Viking Press. pp. 77–79. Retrieved 6 February 2022.