Early life
Thornton was born in Arkansas to Billy Ray Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach, and Virginia R. Faulkner, a psychic. Thornton has three younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, Jim Bean, and John David, born in 1969. Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas and Malvern, Arkansas during his childhood, and also spent time with his grandfather, Otis Thornton, a forest ranger, in a small shack in the woods. He attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he studied psychology but dropped out after two semesters. Thornton is the cousin of noted professional wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, which Terry Funk notes in his autobiography Terry Funk: More Than Hardcore.
In the late 1980s, Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as an actor alongside future writing partner Tom Epperson. Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing, off-shore wind farming and fast food management while auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock legend Piet Botha's band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director Billy Wilder and struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Career
Thornton first came to semi-prominence as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, Bound By Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone.
Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, told the story of Karl Childers, a mentally retarded man. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name, starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. Also in 2000 he and Tom Epperson wrote The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes and Giovanni Ribisi.
During the late 1990s, Thornton, who has had a life-long love for music, began a career as a singer-songwriter. He released a roots rock album entitled Private Radio in 2001, and two more albums, The Edge of the World (2003) and Hobo (2005). Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons referred to the band as "The best little cover band in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it.[2] He also performed the Warren Zevon song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon. Thornton also recorded a cover of the Johnny Cash classic Ring of Fire for the Oxford American magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001. As of September 2006, Thornton is working on another album.[3]
Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man".[1] He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan, 2001's Monster's Ball and 2004's The Alamo, in which he played Davy Crockett. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus in 2003's Bad Santa, a black comedy that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor. Thornton has stated that following Bad Santa's success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy"[1] and "they [casting directors] call me up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be".[4] His most recent role is in the comic film School for Scoundrels, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton.[1] His upcoming roles include The Astronaut Farmer, a drama scheduled for a February 23, 2007 release; another comedy, Mr. Woodcock, in which Thornton will play a sadistic gym teacher; and the drama Peace Like A River, which is scheduled to begin filming in early 2007. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece about cave explorer Floyd Collins,[5] based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker.
Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.
Personal life
Thornton has stated on several occasions that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder; he and rock singer Warren Zevon became close friends after sharing their common experiences with the disorder.[6] He is known for various idiosyncratic behaviors, well-documented in interviews with the actor. Among these is a phobia of antique furniture, something shared by the Dwight Yoakam character in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade. That trait was also added to Thornton's character in the 2001 film Bandits. Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware,[7] a trait which was included for his character in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which his character requests a plastic spoon each time he consumes his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Thornton lives in Los Angeles. He has been married five times, perhaps most notably to actress Angelina Jolie. The pair were known for their eccentric behavior, including reports that they wore vials of each others' blood around their necks; he later clarified this to be that the two of them wore small lockets that contained a drop of blood from each of them inside.[1][8] Thornton and Jolie adopted a child from Cambodia renamed Maddox. Jolie's divorce petition named the child as being both hers and Thornton's offspring and requested the Court grant her custody and Thornton reasonable parenting time.[9] He is the father of four other children: Amanda Spence with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin; William Langston and Harry James with his fourth wife, Pietra Cherniak; and Bella, with Connie Angland, who is Thornton's current girlfriend. Thornton has also stated that he will likely not marry again; he has specified that he believes that marriage "doesn't work" for him.[1]
On September 11, 2003, Thornton had received word that his ex-Hearts Afire star, John Ritter had passed away, while filming the last movie Bad Santa, which was dedicated to him. He along with Markie Post attended Ritter's funeral four days after his co-star's death.
Starlight Lounge
Billy Bob Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I found you and you found me
We were both dressed up with no place to be
You set me from my reasons for the span of our drink
For as long I think as it took for us to sink
In our garden of sleaze
Till we just about, yeah
We just about were sleazed out
You leaned on me and I leaned on you
Yeah, we pushed real hard to twist the truth
Whispered love through a hot red smoke in a dirty booth
You gave me so many reasons, yeah, you let me down
And I started to think 'bout our last drink
As I watched us drown in our garden of sleaze
Baby, would you meet me at the starlight lounge?
Where I lost you and you lost me at the starlight lounge
The lyrics to Billy Bob Thornton's song Starlight Lounge capture the feeling of two people who have found a connection in a seedy establishment. The chorus begins with an invitation for the listener to come to the Starlight Lounge, where the singer and his object of desire originally met. They were both dressed up with nowhere to go, and the atmosphere of the lounge drew them to each other. The second verse describes the physical intimacy that followed as they "sleazed out" in the "garden of sleaze". However, the relationship was not without its problems, as the singer mentions being let down by his lover and ultimately losing her in the Starlight Lounge.
The song's lyrics offer a glimpse into the darker side of romantic entanglements that often arise in such establishments. The Starlight Lounge is a metaphor for a place where people go to escape their problems or to find companionship in the face of loneliness. The singer's use of vivid imagery, such as the "hot red smoke" and the "dirty booth", suggests that the Starlight Lounge is not a place of glamour and sophistication, but rather a down-and-dirty joint where anything goes.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, yeah, would you meet me at the starlight lounge?
Asking the partner to meet at a quiet and isolated place to have a conversation.
Where I found you and you found me
Recalling the time when they met at the same place and how they connected.
We were both dressed up with no place to be
They were dressed nicely for no particular reason, implying they were looking for something to do.
You set me from my reasons for the span of our drink
The partner diverted the singer's attention from his worries while they were drinking together.
For as long I think as it took for us to sink
They drank for a long time until they were both drunk and unable to think clearly.
In our garden of sleaze
The place they were in was probably sleazy or had questionable activities happening.
You felt me up and you stroked me from the inside out
The partner touched the singer intimately and made him feel good physically and emotionally.
Till we just about, yeah
They were so into each other that they were about to lose control.
We just about were sleazed out
They were both drunk and probably acting inappropriately in public.
You leaned on me and I leaned on you
They supported each other emotionally and physically.
Yeah, we pushed real hard to twist the truth
They may have lied to themselves or each other to justify their actions or feelings.
Whispered love through a hot red smoke in a dirty booth
They may have expressed their feelings for each other in a romantic but unsanitary environment.
You gave me so many reasons, yeah, you let me down
The partner disappointed the singer multiple times despite giving him hope.
And I started to think 'bout our last drink
The singer started to think about the last time they were drinking together and how it affected their relationship.
As I watched us drown in our garden of sleaze
The singer watched their relationship deteriorate as they got drunk and acted inappropriately in a questionable place.
Baby, would you meet me at the starlight lounge?
The singer is once again asking the partner to meet at the same place, where they connected before.
Where I lost you and you lost me at the starlight lounge
The singer and his partner lost their connection and drifted apart, possibly because of their behavior at the starlight lounge.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: BILLY BOB THORNTON, DWIGHT YOAKAM, DWIGHT DAVID YOAKAM, MARY HOLLADAY (HOLLY) LAMAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruckus Dean
Underrated artist ... Billy Bob rocks
Loretta Hargreaves
Never ever ROCKS.
Mitzi Lily
I really enjoy listening to him. He's lived an interesting life.
Lauren_MUFC
Orange Lily did you read his book? I couldn't put it down, I read it in 2 days...it's like you're in a room with him and he's telling you stories. 👍🏻
Preiya Dovel
Great song! Lots of emotions and beautiful melody on a slow beat
Ellis Wright
I'm such a huge fan of Billy Bob's that he could have just sat there on stage and I would have been perfectly content. However, with his good looks, smoky bedroom voice, wonderful lyrics, and loungy feel, this duet with Holly Lamar is such an absolute treasure. Billy Bob -- the gift that keeps on giving! Once again, he does NOT disappoint. What a talent! A BBT Fan in Topeka, KS
Thomas Erickson
This is my favorite song, because it makes me think of the great joy and exuberance of being alive!
jason bowman
This inspires me to continue with my terrible art. I love BBT's attitude of 'eff it, just do it!.
Judy Gale
Billybob thornton helps me get through the day!!! Thanks!!!
kate davenporty
well said Judy :) i love him too.