Herbert Spencer Thornton Jr.

2024 - 2015 = 9, so now it's been 9 years since we lost Herbie. And in the past year, we also lost our mutual friend Ronnie Harris, who passed away in August 2023. The last time I saw Herbie was in 2007 at Ronnie's house in "Millionaire's Row" in Louisville, and I never dreamed it would be the last time I saw either of them. It was Ronnie who phoned me down here in Australia in 2015 with the sad news about Herbie's passing. I'd like to think that Herbie and Ronnie are floating around up...

Eight years it's been now! Well, one of my fondest memories of Herbie is the night we went to see the Broadway musical "Two By Two" during our visit to NYC in March 1971. The show starred Danny Kaye and Madeline Khan. It's nice to think that three of my favorite people on the planet, Herbie, Danny and Madeline, were under the same roof as me that night.

So now it's been seven years without Herbie. I miss his gentle and occasionally wicked sense of humor. One summer in Bardstown, I found out that they did six performaces a week and had Monday nights off. Trying to show off my mastery of show-biz lingo, I said, "So you're dark Monday night?" He said, "I'm dark every night!"

So now Herbie's been gone for SIX years. The five-year anniversary of his passing seems like five minutes ago. I have nothing but good memories of Herbie. From Morehead to NYC (which we visited for a week in March 1971) to Bardstown (where he played Old Black Joe all those years) to Louisville (where I visited him in four different houses that I can remember offhand), he was always fun to be with. One highlight was the night we went to see Richard Rodgers' musical "Two By Two," starring...

Time sure does fly. Brother (Herbert Jr) & I grew up together at Beargrass Missionary Baptist Church). We sang in the Junior Choir. Later in years he taught my daughter in school Orchestra classes. Continuous prayers.

It's hard to believe that Herbie's been gone for five years. He and I went to see dozens of movies together between 1970 and 2007. I'll never forget his reactions to Mae West in "Myra Breckinridge}, Walter Matthau in "A New Leaf" and Margaret Hamilton in "Brewster McCloud"!

I have many fond memories of Herbie. He and I "met cute" -- he lived in the room across the hall from mine in the dorm my first year at Morehead State University -- loud Motown music emanated from that room every day, but then one day it was replaced by Barbra Streisand's "On a Clear Day" soundtrack -- I knocked on the door, Herbie answered and it was the start of a 43-year friendship. He started his long, long run as Old Black Joe in "The Stephen Foster Story" in 1971 -- Tom Ewell (Marilyn...

I miss Herbert and the Thornton family so much. I have such Blessed memories. Love for each of the family members.

Herbert was my very dear friend and I miss him so much. We had so many happy times and shared so many stories. I met him in 1979 when I first came to the Stephen Foster Story. He was so kind and always thought of others first. I will never forget him.