UNITED KINGDOM – As a working musician in London during the Swinging Sixties, Edward “Tan Tan” Thornton rubbed shoulders with artists who became legends. They included The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Jimi Hendrix.
The Jamaican trumpeter died on December 10 at age 94 at a hospice in London, his son Jason Thornton disclosed. He had been in ill health for the past two years.
Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica’s first capital, Thornton was a graduate of the Alpha Boys School, the famed institution that groomed some of Jamaica’s greatest musicians including saxophonist Tommy McCook and trombonist Don Drummond of The Skatalites.
He migrated to the United Kingdom in 1954 during the great wave of migration to that country from the Caribbean. Initially, he established himself in London’s West Indian clubs and jazz venues in West Germany.
A decade later, Thornton made his name as a session player with groups like Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames. This paved the way for him playing on songs like Got To Get You Into My Life, a hit for The Beatles in 1966.
He also played on She’s A Rainbow for The Rolling Stones.
In 1966, Thornton befriended an American guitarist named Jimi Hendrix who came to England looking for the big break.
“I used to live with him. Jimi was alright, man. He was an easy-going guy. When Jimi came here between ’65 and ’66 nobody knew him or anything, Jimi used to stay with me. Jimi was a nice, decent guy. Very decent. He is one of those guys where he was great and everybody knew he was great but Jimi never thought he was great. He just thought he was lucky,” Thornton recalled in a 2018 interview with unitedreggae.com.
During the 1970s, he worked with roots-reggae acts like Aswad. Thornton toured with that band and played on their landmark 1983 album, Live & Direct, at the Notting Hill Carnival.
He is also part of the horn section that played the memorable intro to Promised Land, Dennis Brown’s classic song.
Edward “Tan Tan” Thornton is survived by May, his wife of 54 years, seven children and grandchildren.
