Larry Thornton, beloved director of William S. Hart High School’s marching band for two decades, was born June 22, 1932, in Bakersfield, California.

Larry Thornton attended Bakersfield High School, where he played trumpet as a member of their “Driller Band,” and attended Bakersfield College before he was drafted into the Army, where he played in the U.S. Army Band at Fort Ord.

After his time in the Army, Larry Thornton continued his education as a music major at Fresno State, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, and did post-graduate work at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

After graduation, he returned to Bakersfield to start his teaching career at Lincoln Junior High, a position he held for seven years.

After the start of his career, he moved to Newhall, where he taught at Sierra Vista Junior High, Placerita Junior High, and eventually at William S. Hart High School, where he served as their band director for a little over 2 decades, from 1969 to his retirement in 1989.

Under his direction, the Hart High School band received many awards for performances in concerts, parades, field shows, and jazz ensembles, and became one of the greatest high school marching and stage bands at the time.

Hart High’s Chieftain Jazz Ambassadors were also recognized among the best high school jazz ensembles in California, often receiving first place in the top division bands, and performing at major jazz festivals including the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands.

Larry Thornton passed away at age 81 on September 5, 2013, “surrounded by his wife, Lyn, and close friends, including our fellow Hart Band alum George Stone,” according to Ron Suffredini, an alumnus of Hart High School’s band under Larry Thornton’s direction, who graduated in 1986.

To read yesterday’s SCV History, click here.

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