Mr. Sad Head

By Marv Goldberg

© 2025 by Marv Goldberg

Mr. Sad Head was another singer who seemingly came out of nowhere and quickly returned there. He only made four records in his short career, and was only advertised for half of 1952 and once in 1954.

"Mr. Sad Head" was born William Augustus Thurman on December 2, 1927 in Newark, New Jersey. His father was Joseph Thurman and his mother was Cleonas Mary Hill (he called her "Mary" with Social Security and "Cleonas" on his World War 2 draft registration). William was nicknamed "Sunny" (also seen as "Sonny").

William was the third of four Thurman children; the others were Abe, Alice, and Josephine. They were all still together (and still in Newark) in the 1940 census.

Nothing exciting on his December 4, 1945 draft registration. He was unemployed, he was still living at home, his mother's name was "Mrs. Cleonas Hill Thurman", and he had a mole on his nose.

By the time of the 1950 census, his father had died. William (a helper in a foundry) was still living with his widowed mother, as was his sister Josephine and her husband, James Powell.

I was unable to find any hint of William (or "Sunny" or "Sonny") Thurman having any singing career prior to joining trumpeter Billy Ford's orchestra in mid-1952. (This is the same Billy Ford who'd later have some hits as part of "Billy & Lillie".)

When the Billy Ford band played the Evansville (Indiana) Coliseum on April 12 and the Auditorium (Atlanta) on May 12, his advertised vocalist was Joe "Mr. Google Eyes" August. The May 3 Billboard said "The package featuring the Clovers, Billy Ford ork, and Mr. Google Eyes has been set for another month of one nighters thru the west and south and will tour until July 15." The May 31, 1952 Billboard had this: "Mr. Google Eyes and the Billy Ford ork will cut a few records for MGM shortly. The Ford band goes into the Nightcap, Newark, N.J., for June, after which it goes out on the road again with the Clovers."

I suppose that Ford and Mr. Google Eyes had a falling out when they got to Newark in June. Somehow Ford hooked up with Sunny Thurman, and it was Ford who gave Sunny his new persona, "Mr. Sad Head" (sometimes seen as "Sadhead"), which was slightly reminiscent of "Mr. Google Eyes".

This announcement appeared in the July 26, 1952 Billboard:

RCA Victor has added the Billy Ford ork, with Mr. Sadhead [sic] and Carleton Coleman [another vocalist], to its r&b talent stable. Coleman was formerly with Lionel Hampton and the Griffin Brothers.

The August 21 St. Louis American said: "Billy Ford and Mr. Sadhead are set to do their initial disking for RCA Victor this week." At a July 30, 1952 session, they recorded four tunes: "Butcher Boy", "Mumbles Blues" [on the session sheet as "Mumblin' Woman"], "Sad Head Blues", and "Hot Weather Blues" ["it ain't hot weather that makes me stick to you"].

According to the RCA session sheet (provided to me by Billy Vera), the musicians on the session were: Billy Ford (trumpet), Wayne Bennett (guitar), Teddy Cromwell (bass), John Godfrey (drums), Herbert Parham (piano), Coleman Watson (sax), and Willie A. Smith (sax).

RCA released "Butcher Boy" and "Mumbles Blues" in September 1952. Note that there's also a "Mumbles Blues" by Bobby Lewis on Chess and Paul Bascomb on Mercury (both from around August 1952). Other than the first stanza, those seem to be mostly a different song. The Sad Head version was credited to Hal Singer & Bob Astor; the other two to [Bobby] Lewis & [Leroy] Kirkland. In 1956, there were also versions of that one by Big Connie on Groove and Boyd Bennett on King.

The songs were reviewed in the September 27 editions of Billboard and Cash Box, as well as the October 22 Down Beat:

Butcher Boy (BB; 79): Side starts off fast and features a lot of exciting shouting by Mr. Sadhead [sic; the label clearly says "Sad Head"]. Billy Ford ork backs uninhibitedly. Could step out.

Mumbles Blues (BB; 77): Jump blues is given a wild reading by the singer with a fine backing. A fine disk and a good start for Mr. Sadhead on the label.

Mumbles Blues (CB; B): Mr. Sad Head sings a rhythmic quick bounce with zest as Billy Ford and his orchestra provide a solid instrumental backdrop.

Butcher Boy (CB; B): The artists get together on a similar piece with humorous lyrics.

Down Beat gave both sides two stars and said: Bob Astor, ex-bandleader who's now a booking agent with Billy Shaw, wrote two blues, the second being a 16-bar affair a la Good Morning Judge, Brother Bill, etc. Mr. Sad Head is accompanied by Billy Ford's jumping combo.

By this time, Ford and Sad Head had begun a tour with the Charles Brown Orchestra. Larry Douglas' Theatrically Yours column of September 20 (as in the Atlanta Daily World) said:

Billy Ford, Mr. Sadhead [sic], Charles Brown Ork, and Shirley Haven go to San Antonio on September 30 to start a one-night tour through the Southwest that will last until October 30.

The October 4 Afro American elaborated:

LONGVIEW, Tex. - Charles Brown, blues stylist, and Billy Ford and his orchestra joined here this week to form one of the top package attractions in show business. Appearing at the Cotton Club, the Brown-Ford package broke all attendance records on its opening night.

Ford left New York to join Brown, who was already touring the southern circuit. The package is booked for 24 consecutive one-nighters following their appearance here, ending the tour in Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 23. [Note how it's now a week shorter than in the prior blurb; they were both incorrect.]

For example, on October 10, they were at the Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City and October 25 found them at the Hippodrome in Memphis. Then, there was the October 31 Big Halloween Masquerade Ball at the Macon (Georgia) Auditorium. Ads in the October 31 Macon Telegraph and Macon News were strange. After naming the performers, they went on with:

MACON AUDITORIUM, the new stage setting has been completed with the most beautiful curtains ever seen. These curtains cost $1,200 and will be used tonight for the first time.

In other words, don't waste your time watching the show; concentrate on the curtains!

The tour did so well that it was extended. The November 1, 1952 Afro-American had this, under the heading "Brown And Ford Move Eastward":

The Charles Brown-Billy Ford package is moving eastward this week on a one-nighter tour which will take the group through Alabama and Tennessee for the duration of October. For the first several days of November, Brown and Ford will appear in Fayetteville, N.C.; Danville, Va.; Newport News, Portsmouth, Petersburg, Virginia Beach, and Charleston, S.C.

In November, RCA issued "Sad Head Blues", coupled with "Hot Weather Blues". "Sad Head Blues" supposedly tells the story of how he got his name, but the lyrics make no sense. He touts himself as a great lover, which is why he's called "Sad Head". Obviously, I'm missing something here.

This appeared in the November 15, 1952 Cash Box:

Lubbock, Tex. reports the auto accident of blues singer Billy Ford, who was badly shaken, along with Mr. Sad Head Thurman, when the boys were rammed by a Texas cattle truck. And since it was a Texas cattle truck, you know it was the world's biggest cattle truck. In the near future our steaks may be a bit scarred, but the two blues singers escaped with only minor bruises, and not of the vocal chords.

They were so busy being cute that they didn't bother to say when the accident happened (it had been on November 11). The November 21, 1952 Kansas City Call elaborated:

LUBBOCK, Texas - Blues Singer Billy Ford, packaged with Charles Brown for their current southern swing, narrowly missed serious injury for the second time within a month! Ford and his fellow blues singer Sonny "Mr. Sad Head" Thurman, were shaken up when Ford's suburban was rammed by a cattle truck while en route here last Tuesday to fill an engagement. Both escaped with only minor scratches.

Only last month, the pair also had a narrow escape traveling near Corpus Christi when the car went out of control. Although both men were shaken up in that accident too, no serious injuries resulted. Ford said he will not give up driving, but when the car is repaired this time, he will add several more rear-view mirrors to keep a closer eye on fellow motorists.

November 19 found the tour, augmented by the Clovers, at the Auditorium in Atlanta. Soon after that, the Brown-Ford package moved into Gleason's, in Cleveland. The November 29 Cleveland Call And Post said that they'd been held over there until December 6. On December 26, they were at Baker's Patio (at the Flamingo Bar And Grill) in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Their latest RCA release was reviewed in the December 27 editions of both Billboard and Cash Box:

Sad Head Blues (BB; 78): A bright rhythm effort is handed a strong reading by the warbler, who explains how he got his name. Ork supplies a hefty beat behind the singer as it drives out this swingy opus. A strong platter that could catch loot.

Hot Weather Blues (BB; 74): Mr. Sad Head turns in an effective vocal on this listenable buck dance while the ork has [a] fine time cutting up in the background. This side too should pull spins.

Hot Weather Blues (CB; B+): Mr. Sad Head puts a pair back to back that adds up to lots of plays. A quick beat bounce is socked out by the talented pipes of Sad Head against a very effective guitar.

Sad Head Blues (CB; B+): The under portion is a quick beat bounce chanted by the blues shouter in lively style. Orking is exciting and wild.

This was in the January 7, 1953 Opelousas (Louisiana) Daily World:

Also good among the new singles is "Sad Head Blues", a not-too-sad lament by Mr. Sad Head, with Billy Ford and his orchestra for RCA Victor. "Hot Weather Blues", on the other side, is slightly out of season for those who don't live in (1) Florida, (2) Southern California, or (3) the Lower Rio Grande Valley, but it's a fine song.

However, it took Down Beat until March 11, 1953 to get around to it, but while they gave both sides three stars, the reviews weren't particularly good.

Some good rhythm changes make Hot Weather bearable, but Mr. Sad Head never sings it quite as strongly; last note is very flat.

Sad Head Blues moves along with a chorus and swinging sax solo, but Sad Head seems too distant and doesn't get across.

By that time, the tour was over. The December 27, 1952 New York Age had reported:

Charles Brown, who has been unofficially voted by his fans the "best dressed man" in show business, announced this week that he will disband his trio immediately and will re-form his full band early next year.

At present in Tucson, Ariz., where he ended his six-month tour packaged with his trio and blues singers Billy Ford and "Mr. Sad Head", Brown declared that he will begin auditioning immediately for additional sidemen and female vocalists.

"Fats" Clarke, manager of the Charles Brown attraction, declared that the newly-formed band will begin a 10-month tour as soon as it is organized and rehearsed. [Note that in January 1953, Brown's singer, Shirley Haven, would marry Brown's road manager, Charles Nathan "Fats" Clark.]

There was no mention of a split between Billy Ford and Mr. Sad Head, but it happened. After a January 6 recording session for United Records (in which Mr. Sad Head didn't participate), Billy Ford didn't seem to do anything at all in 1953.

There was one more Mr. Sad Head RCA session, on February 17, 1953, at which he recorded another four songs: "Make Haste", "Hard Luck And Traveling", "Black Diamond", and "I'm High". There were some different musicians this time: Billy Ford (trumpet), Mickey Baker (guitar), Teddy Cromwell (bass), Herman Bradley (drums), Wyatt Watson (sax), Alonzo "Buddy" Lucas (sax), Eddie Barefield (sax), and Charlie Harris (piano).

RCA released "Hard Luck And Traveling", backed with "I'm High", in March 1953. "Hard Luck", written by Sunny Thurman, sounds like it was heavily influenced by his time with Charles Brown. They were reviewed in the March 21 Billboard:

Hard Luck And Traveling (76): Mr. Sad Head does a first-rate job with this new blues, singing it with feeling and meaning. Tune is a warm mood blues and should get deejay attention.

I'm High (73): A routine but melodic novelty, somewhat in the tradition of "I'm Looped" a while back, receives an effective warble from Sad Head, while the ork backs him strongly. Side becomes monotonous half-way thru, however

When that one went nowhere, RCA issued "Make Haste", coupled with "Black Diamond", in July 1953. Both sides were written by Sunny Thurman. They were reviewed in the August 1 Billboard and the August 8 Cash Box:

Black Diamond (BB; 72): The warbler turns in a dramatic reading here of a sad blues effort, while the ork supports him appropriately. Okay disking that should get some spins.

Make Haste (BB; 69): Mr. Sad Head, singing in the wide open old-fashioned blues style, lets us know that age comes before we know it on this swinging blues effort. Listenable, but hardly exciting.

Black Diamond (CB; B): Mr. Sad Head sings a mournful ditty about the train that took his baby away. A good disking well performed by the artist

Make Haste (CB; C+): Flip is a driving item with Sad Head belting out advice to young girls to "make haste while they are still young". A shouty bouncer that moves.

"Black Diamond" is said to be the name of the train that took his girl away from him, but the lyrics are somewhat ambiguous. It could have been someone nicknamed "Black Diamond" who took her on a train. The following year, Roy Brown had a song by the same name which definitely referred to a person who stole his woman.

In spite of having two records out that year, there's no trace of "Mr. Sad Head", "William Thurman", "Sunny Thurman", or "Sonny Thurman" appearing anywhere.

The last ever mention of "Mr. Sad Head" was when he reunited with Billy Ford (and his quintet) for an engagement at Weekes' Cocktail Lounge in Atlantic City. They were only advertised on March 5 and 6, 1954 and I don't know how long it was for or if they appeared anywhere else. (Actually, I can't find any other mention of Billy Ford that year.)

In the 1955 Newark City Directory, William Thurman was still living with his mother and was listed as a musician, although it was never before hinted that he played any instrument.

At some point, in the late 1950s or early 1960s, he married Anita L. Dixon. They would have three children: William Dixon, Cynthia Thurman, and Kevin Thurman.

William Augustus Thurman died, in Newark, on November 25, 1979. I have no idea what he did with his life after that March 1954 appearance.

I suspect that he and Anita had been divorced because of three things:

1. Anita died in 2019 as "Anita L. Dixon".

2. Their son, William, was surnamed "Dixon", not "Thurman". My feeling is that he changed it after the divorce (assuming there'd been one).

3. In 1974, they bought a house in Newark. In 1983, the mortgage lender foreclosed on the property. There was a big notice in the March 17, 1983 Montclair (New Jersey) Times about this. The notice was to an absent defendant: "Mr. Thurman, husband of Anita Thurman". There were two complaints filed - one against Anita, which she answered, and the other against him, which he didn't (not strange since he'd died in 1979). The court clerk was fulfilling his obligation to notify Mr. Thurman to come forward, because he was listed as one of the mortgagees. If they were still married at the time of his death, you'd think that Anita would have informed the court that the chances of him answering the complaint were pretty small. On one hand, it's possible that whatever they sent her only required her to confirm receipt, not say anything about her husband. On the other hand, if they'd been divorced, she may not have even known that he'd died.

Anita passed away on October 21, 2019 and her obituary (as "Anita L. Dixon") didn't help me much at all. It said, in part: "Anita united with the late William Thurman and from this union three children were born: William Dixon, Cynthia Thurman Hailey, and Kevin Thurman." Technically, "united with" doesn't actually say they were ever married. Also, why would she revert to her maiden name just because William had died? Intriguing questions (and just the final mysteries in Mr. Sad Head's career).

Mr. Sad Head made some nice recordings, although far too few. Wish his life were easier to research.



RCA VICTOR
4938 Butcher Boy / Mumbles Blues - 9/52
5089 Sad Head Blues / Hot Weather Blues - ca. 11/52
            Above two with Billy Ford & His Orchestra
5230 Hard Luck And Traveling / I'm High - ca. 3/53
5388 Make Haste / Black Diamond - ca. 7/53