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All Music Guide:
Tupelo, MS's Paul Thorn was a prizefighter and skydiver before becoming a rootsy singer/songwriter. As a boxer, Thorn once fought against Roberto Duran and as a musician, he has toured and collaborated with Sting, Paul Carrack, Joe Diffie, Tanya Tucker, Ronnie Milsap, and Carole King. He released his debut album, Hammer & Nail, in 1997 and followed it with Ain't Love Strange three years later.
Wikipedia:
Paul Wayne Thorn (born July 13, 1964, Kenosha, Wisconsin) is an Americana singer-songwriter whose style is a mix of blues and rock music.
Biography
Thorn was born in Wisconsin, but as an infant his family moved and he was raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. He is also the cousin of Stan Thorn, a keyboardist for the band Shenandoah and Kay Bain's Saturday Mornin' Band on the WTVA Saturday morning series, The Mornin' Show.
Before his professional music career began, he was briefly a professional boxer, having fought a nationally-televised fight against former world champion Roberto Durán, and also won the Mid-South Middleweight Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. After a few years of working in a local furniture factory and playing in local clubs, he was discovered by music professional Miles Copeland (brother of The Police drummer Stewart Copeland), was signed to a recording contract with A&M Records and recorded his first album, Hammer & Nail in 1997, followed by seven more albums. In early 2008, he enjoyed national TV performance appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
His latest album Pimps and Preachers, debuted at #83 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was released on June 22, 2010. It is the highest position he has had on these charts. He is currently on tour promoting the album.
Thorn has toured as an opening act for Huey Lewis & the News, Sting, John Prine, Marianne Faithful, Mark Knopfler, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Toby Keith and Jeff Beck.
