James Thornton

James Thornton (December 5, 1861 – July 27, 1938) was an Irish-American songwriter and vaudeville performer. He is primarily remembered today as the composer of the 1898 song, "When You Were Sweet Sixteen".

Career Thornton started his career as a "singing waiter" in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and then achieved success with his then-wife, Elisabeth "Bonnie" Cox, in music halls throughout the US as what was then called a "serio-comic" or "monologist" (essentially a stand-up comic) and singer. During his career, he also performed in a vaudeville team with Charles B. Lawlor. and "The Streets of Cairo".

On Broadway, Thornton's performed in Eddie Dowling's Sidewalks of New York and Oscar Hammerstein's Sweet Adeline. His last public appearance was in 1934 at the Forrest Theater in New York City.

Private life Little is known about his early life. According to the New York Times, he was born in Dublin, Ireland. According to the 1900 US census and his birth certificate, he was born of Irish parents, John Thornton and Catherine Molloy, in Liverpool, England. He emigrated with his parents and siblings to Boston, United States in 1869,

Apparently, this was a recurring theme in their marriage, as a similar story is told about the origin of "When You Were Sweet Sixteen".

James and Bonnie had no children. Despite being erroneously reported as still being husband and wife in 1920, After Bonnie died in 1920, Thornton married restaurateur Josephine Boyle.