Jim Thornton Talks Radio Beginnings, Wheel of Fortune, and Tri State Pride
I sit down with none other than Jim Thornton—the iconic voice of Wheel of Fortune and proud Huntington native. Together, we take a heartfelt journey through the Tri-State area’s past and present, swapping stories about childhood memories, favorite teachers, and the unique flavors and traditions that define West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Jim Thornton shares the origins of his love for broadcasting, from childhood mimicry to his first job at WMUL, and reveals the secrets behind keeping his legendary voice strong. The conversation spins from pop culture—bid farewell to MTV’s music video era!—to local eats, including memorable stops at Stewart’s and Jim’s, and touches on what makes the Tri-State area truly special.
Plus, you’ll get behind-the-scenes insights from Wheel of Fortune, hear tales about celebrity encounters, and soak up advice for anyone dreaming big in a small town.
Whether you’re a lifelong local or just passing through, this episode will leave you with a smile and maybe even a craving for a Huntington slaw dog.
If you have a memory you would want me to talk more about, just send me an email at TSTM@mail.com. Or post a comment on the Tri-State Machine FB Group page.
Welcome to the Tri-State Time Machine.
I'm your host Vanessa Hankins. This is a podcast where my guests and I share our memories and present day stories of the Tri-State Area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Nothing too serious, no political views, and no ulterior motives.
We're just here to share our fun stories about this great area.
Whether you're a past resident or a current Tri-State resident, I think you're going to have fun with us.
So join in, press play on your podcast player, and welcome to the Tri-State Time Machine!
https://ts-time-machine.captivate.fm/episode/jim-thorton
Copyright 2025 Vanessa Hankins
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Transcript
This is the Tri State Time Machine. Each week, your host, Vanessa Hankins and her guests share memories and stories about the past, present, and the future of the Tri State area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and the Ohio areas. If you used to live here or you currently live here, you're going to catch yourself saying out loud, Wow. I remember that. Now here's Vanessa.
Vanessa Hankins [:Hey, guys, it's Vanessa. And this is the Tri State Time Machine. And I've been teasing, but our secret guest. I announced it this morning. We've got Jim Thornton in the room. Jim, how are you?
Jim Thornton [:I'm great. Vanessa, how are you?
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm wonderful.
Jim Thornton [:Ladies and gentlemen, it's Vanessa. I love the Tri State Time Machine. And I love. Thank you. I saw you on Facebook. You posted a bunch of stuff, and people were, like, digging it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. They were loving it. Yes. It's so exciting. I love the support that we get from our community. Our listeners are top notch. I think we don't have a whole lot of time with you, so we're gonna jump right in. And the question that I'm sure you get asked all the time, when did you know that you the voice for radio?
Jim Thornton [:You know, it's funny because it's like chicken or the egg. When I was a little kid, like five years old, I first wanted to be long before my voice changed, obviously, unless I was like Froggy from Little Rascals. Hey. But I wanted to be on the radio and on the tv. And I remember looking, when I could first read, I would see, like, narrator. And I didn't really know what that was, but that must be the person who's talking. And I didn't know that was scripted anything like that because we're far away from Hollywood. And especially then when I was little, back in the 1930.
Jim Thornton [:No, I'm just kidding. But, you know, it was a few decades ago, but it was like I just wanted to do it before my voice changed. And I was lucky that my voice did, you know, have this. Have some resonance to it. And I had the ability to do with my voice what I always heard in my head, which were all kinds of weird voices. I hear voices. I do.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that, though. I love that.
Jim Thornton [:Well, I used to. Yeah. I mean, I just. I would call radio stations like WGNT here in Huntington, and I would do like, this is Cora Beth out here on nine Mile Road.
Vanessa Hankins [:And I just want to weigh in what I think about the topic that.
Jim Thornton [:You'Re having here, the discussion or whatever it was. I would be like, I love that.
Vanessa Hankins [:This is how you did your pastime.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. And I had a little kid voice, so I couldn't do male voices, but I wanted to do all. And I used to, you know, mimic my friends, parents or my teachers or anybody I knew.
Vanessa Hankins [:So it kind of came naturally to you.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. And so I think that also lent itself to my announcing that I could. I don't know that. Although that just plugs into a naturally happy part of me.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:You know what I mean? When I'm reading like the prizes or whatever, I really am so genuinely happy for people.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, I love that.
Jim Thornton [:That was a long convoluted answer.
Vanessa Hankins [:So what was your first on air job like? Was that at wmul?
Jim Thornton [:It was okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:I thought I seen that on Facebook, but I wasn't sure.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, I posted something there where I just went back there yesterday and it was the same studio. I thought. I was thinking they might have changed because nobody really knew. Is it the same studio? And people didn't know because those people just, they moved on. But it was exactly the same room and I think the same little. The same rack where I had then. It was carts, what we call carts, which are. It's short for cartridge, I think.
Jim Thornton [:But it's like the size of an eight track tape, if you know what that's like.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, I do.
Jim Thornton [:Slide it in and it re cues itself. So you put songs on there, commercials, sound effects, whatever. It was the industry standard for decades and decades, I guess. For decades and decades. Anyway, it was still being used some when I was starting out in the 90s, like, you know, late 80s, early 90s, I guess. Yeah. So. But that.
Jim Thornton [:But otherwise it was the same room, same window that I used to look through. Like I would turn on the TV because it was a classroom, I think on the other side it was dark, it was Saturday morning. Yeah, but I would turn on like cartoons on Saturday morning and watch that while I played the music.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh yeah.
Jim Thornton [:It's like a music video, you know, it was the MTV generation. So. Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Did you see this has nothing here nor there. They are bringing MTV Music Television to an end. They're gonna stop doing like, because I guess like on certain, like cable networks you can buy like the top tier where you get like nothing but music television videos. They're not doing that anymore. It's coming to an end.
Jim Thornton [:Well, they haven't really done video videos for years.
Vanessa Hankins [:They're on mtv.
Jim Thornton [:Right.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's what I thought. But I was like, well, I guess this is the end of an era. Cause I remember going home after school, and of course, this was in the 90s. And like before track practice, I would have, like, a grilled cheese or a ham and cheese sand and a fudge round. And then I would go back to track practice, but I would watch trl, which was like my age group's version of getting the music videos. And I'm like, it's so sad that that's coming to an end, that is.
Jim Thornton [:And so you were still. I'm from the 80s. So we were doing that, you know, same kind of thing that was really. When it was. They were really actually doing it. And then five minutes later, they, like you say, they changed and were doing. I was on a show on MTV1 or 2, whatever. MTV.
Jim Thornton [:This is like 20 years ago or 18 years ago called Celebrity Deathmatch, where I was Johnny Gomez, one of the two ringside announcers. Hello, everyone. Good night and good fight.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, that's exciting. I remember that.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love that show.
Jim Thornton [:But anyway, I just mentioned that it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Was probably a little too gory for my age at the time, but I loved it.
Jim Thornton [:My son was like 10 or something or younger, but so I had to let him watch it in very limited quality. But I'm kind of twisted anyway, so I said, sam and Joy, here, have a stone.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, we are, too. We're a little twisted.
Jim Thornton [:It was harmless, but it was. Yeah, it was. With the Clay Nation.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think the blood was just a little much back then, but blood doesn't make me eerie or anything.
Jim Thornton [:So it was a lot of fun to do.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, I could see that. I could see that being really fun. I had no idea you were on that.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:So a little fun tidbit for everybody. So how do you keep your voice healthy after years of working in broadcasting? Because, you know, you see a lot of artists, you know, after using their voice and straining it. But it takes its toll. But your voice sounds amazing still.
Jim Thornton [:Well, thank you. And that's saying a lot. I appreciate that because I still. I feel like I'm Mr. Ed. I'm a little hoarse, a little bit rough because I've been using it quite a bit. The only thing that I try not to do is, like, when music around me is loud and I like. At a bar or.
Jim Thornton [:Not that I go to a lot of bars, but I mean. Or whatever, or like out at a restaurant or whatever, and I have to kind of shout to be heard. You know what I mean? When you're feeling that sort of strain, that's the Time that you want to cut back and just kind of find the door and leave, you know, I can't stand doing that because it does. It makes your voice raspy. Or. If I sing too much, and I love to sing, but all the rock and roll songs that I love to like. I was always a huge Elton John fan talking about people whose voices radically changed, you know, at a certain point. Yes, was Elton John.
Jim Thornton [:But that early stuff where he'd hit the falsettos and stuff, I love. But I can't do too much of that kind of stuff. And. And all the rock and roll songs, I mean, that you can think of, they're always these guys with these high songs. I think, dag on. But I gotta remember, I'm a bass baritone.
Vanessa Hankins [:Well, and I also. I love, like, that you bring in rock music. There's something. I was born in 85, so there's something about the kids that were growing up in the 80s and rock music. It was the thing. It was. It was like the anarchy of like, screw my parents, you know, without. Without saying it.
Jim Thornton [:You know, that's my generation. When I came to. I came of age. And he's right around there, just after, you know, in 86, I guess I would have really come of age, but. But I just moved to la and, you know, you had Flock of Seagulls. You had Aha. With a video take on me.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, yes.
Jim Thornton [:And. But the 80s were. They were great. I love the 70s because I was little and, you know, it's so nostalgic for me. And there were a lot of songs that told stories like, you know, Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves that were, you know. And Joy to the World. Jeremiah was a bullfrog weight.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. And Gordon Lightfoot, those great, wonderful songs that just painted pictures. But the 80s were just. There was a lot of fun to them, I think. A lot of weird stuff, goofy stuff, and some of it was a little cartoonish, you know, like Billy Idol and, you know, those guys.
Vanessa Hankins [:But like you said, they told a story. And like, I still love still today. That's why I think I'm so sad about the MTV thing. I'm like, what do you mean? There's gonna be a whole generation of kids that don't know about music videos, like, because people really don't make them anymore.
Jim Thornton [:Right?
Vanessa Hankins [:They really don't, I think. And I listen to all kinds of music. But someone that comes to mind that, like, is currently making music videos is Tyler Childers. And I love that his. Where he's like, A folk singer in a way. You know, his tell. His. Tell a story.
Vanessa Hankins [:His videos always tell a story. And without the music, you can get in with the story and follow along. And I think that's awes.
Jim Thornton [:I do too.
Vanessa Hankins [:So if that's the standard for what kids are getting nowadays, I mean, I guess it's okay.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, there's a lot of great music out there.
Vanessa Hankins [:Really is.
Jim Thornton [:All the time. And you forget that. Like, I remember I got away from it kind of, you know, during the, I guess, 2000s or whatever. But then I started anchoring news radio in la and we would cover the. The Grammys and I thought, nice. I no longer felt like I was just getting old and whatever and out of touch because, boy, some of the songs were just so beautiful and are still. And there's such. There's room for artistry and there's also room for, you know, when I was a kid, they started getting away from real instruments.
Jim Thornton [:And I meant long ago, you know, you had, I think of like Captain and Tenille popping in my head for some reason.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Jim Thornton [:And you know, with the synthesizers and the Moog machines and stuff like that and the synthesized drums and all that garbage now there's a lot of. There's still some, you know, AI and I know there's like.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's what I was gonna say. AI is really.
Jim Thornton [:We know that's there. Okay. But we've. We've grown up.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:We want to use reality and do real stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Jim Thornton [:I love that. There's that spirit still alive.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right. So you talked about working on some of the award shows and things like that on your radio station. What is the big difference between working radio and now TV announcing? Which do you prefer, one over the other?
Jim Thornton [:They're just different gigs. They're just different. They're really totally different. The news radio, you know, you're telling a story to somebody. You're talking about, you know, whatever happened during the day. You're really into it. You're focused on it. You're telling one person sitting next to you in the car, here's what happened today.
Jim Thornton [:And you try not to get too, you know, whatever it is, but you're telling that person in a one to one voice. That's the beauty of it. It's a wonderful storytelling medium. Here's something that I care about and here's why you should care about it. Because this happened today. And you're really connecting with the copy. But you always do that. That's just kind of rule number one.
Jim Thornton [:When somebody's disconnected from the copy. You're going to hear that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Absolute.
Jim Thornton [:Not stand out in your head because you're listening to the news and it's supposed to be the news, but that's where it's kind of analogous to the announcing on tv. Difference is, I'm really happy because I'm talking to you. One person. You're only talking to one person when you're reading. That's rule number one in voiceover or whatever. You're doing acting. Same kind of deal, you know, you're talking to that one person and listening to them. And when I'm connecting with the copy or when I'm reading copy, it's like I just opened this up.
Jim Thornton [:There's no microphone on. I don't care about the microphone.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, Right.
Jim Thornton [:I'm talking to you. I can't believe you won this trip. You're going Hawaii and I'm so excited for you, you know, and that becomes habit after a while. So you don't have to like, think about it.
Vanessa Hankins [:Put it on.
Jim Thornton [:But when I was first getting started, I think, okay, what do I do with this? How do I plug into that happy place which I knew was there? I could do it in the shower, I could do it on the way home. Smile. But there was a little nerves or something in the beginning. And it took me a while to find my feet.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm absolutely sure because, I mean, I can't imagine how many people are in yalls audience, like in the actual recording.
Jim Thornton [:Oh, it's like the audience is less than 200. It's not as big as I thought. It's 200,000, but it's still pretty big.
Vanessa Hankins [:Like if you mess up your words, jumble them, get crossed, you know, so that's a little. That would make me nervous for the studio audience. Yeah, just the studio audience itself would make me nervous.
Jim Thornton [:You know, there's so much happening that if I do make a fluff, they don't even really notice it. And I don't really make a big. You know, usually make a great big.
Vanessa Hankins [:You just have to keep. Keep it going. Keep it going.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. I mean, it's usually just a little mispronunciation or something like that that I make and. And I. We just do it later.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:But I don't usually mess up because I do it so much and I rehearse it and. And I'm just. The more you try, the more you are listening to how you're saying things, the worse it is.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree.
Jim Thornton [:So if you got to just Disconnect yourself from that. It's easier said than done. You know what I mean?
Vanessa Hankins [:It really is. Because I sit in here, I've been trying to re record our hundredth episode. I sat in here and recorded I Don six times. Because I kept saying the word Mara wrong. And I'm like, why am I saying this wrong? I actually know Amara. Like, I know the name. It's regular to me. It's normal.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's. You know. But I kept messing it up, and I don't know what I was doing wrong, but every time I would get to it, and I'm just like, for Pete's sake. I was like, I am done with this. Like, I'm changing her name in this story. Because I do, like, for Halloween or for Spooky season, I do, like some Halloween stories, and she was one of the characters in the story, so I just changed her name. And then I was like, okay. I don't know why I couldn't get past Mara Vanessa, but I just couldn't.
Jim Thornton [:Have that happen all of us. You know what I do? I'll write it out of my copy. I write the pronouncer. You know, there's room sometimes because the kind of devil space thing's usually in my copy. Big font. Yeah. But I'll put it, like, whatever the name of the place is, you know, especially, like, foreign names. And I'm good with a lot of languages, but some of them, like Icelandic or whatever, you have to say these things like Iguazu Falls or whatever it is, and where the pronunciation or the accent mark goes.
Jim Thornton [:And I write the little pronouncer, and I scratch out the original word altogether, but that helps me. But we all do that. We all do that.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's normal.
Jim Thornton [:And then for sure. And when we do it once, I remember, like, writing a paper in school when you writing it out, and sometimes we had to write it cursive.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, my gosh. We did, like, rough draft after rough draft back in the day.
Jim Thornton [:But you make the same mistake again and again because you did it once, and it makes a pathway for your neurons.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely, Absolutely. So let's talk a little bit about Wheel of Fortune. What's it like working? And I'm sure you get asked this a lot with not only Pat and Vanna, but also, of course, Ryan now.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:So what are their personalities like? And how much do you love that?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, it's great. It's great. I mean, Pat was. Honestly, there was. There was a lot of reverence there, I guess. Or just like, you Know, I wasn't intimidated necessarily, but I mean, I was in high school when he and Vanna started doing the show, you know, and so I had viewed it from afar and I came to, you know. And so some years later when I was in my 40s, I got this gig and wow, gee, look at me.
Vanessa Hankins [:Hanging out with these celebrities.
Jim Thornton [:But Pat is so witty and fun and really, he's so nice.
Vanessa Hankins [:He seems like he would be very nice.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, he was always busier doing things it seemed like around. So it's not like we hung out together. He just does his own thing. It's okay. And Ryan, Ryan feels like because he spent so many years in radio, just like I did in la. And we live it, we breathe it, we wanted to do it since we were both little kids. He's a little younger than I am, but I feel more like we're just colleagues, we're just peers, we're just buddies. And that's such a wonderful thing, you know, honestly.
Jim Thornton [:And Pat was like my uncle and then, you know, he's like my little brother or my brother. And it's just kind of the way we're wired for whatever reason.
Vanessa Hankins [:Fun little tidbit.
Jim Thornton [:Vanna's like a big sister.
Vanessa Hankins [:I was gonna say fun little tidbit about Vanna. My grandfather named me Vanessa after Vanna because he said she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. So that's how I got. My name is a spin off of Vanna.
Jim Thornton [:You buried the lead. You should have told me that up front. That's sweet. Vanna would love to hear that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah. So he worshiped the ground she walked on. You did not talk when the Wheel came on. And the wheel, in our house, we call it the Big Wheel. Cause that's what my little girl always called it when she was little. When we watch it, she says, is it time for the big wheel? It's time for the big wheel. Sit down.
Jim Thornton [:And we love and we hear those kinds of stories at Wheel. And you know, parents, there was, oh, one of the. Brings tears to my eyes. There was a mom, she brought her 25 year old son, I think it was. And she said, you know, he was on the autism spectrum somehow, but such a sweet kid. And she said, you know, he didn't speak until he was five. And watching Wheel of Fortune is what triggered his. Brought that out of him in a good way and brought that out.
Jim Thornton [:We have a lot of people on the autism spectrum who, their parents say they just love this show. Something about the movement and maybe it's the. I don't know, the organization of the lights and colors. I am always so intrigued by people who are autistic because they're geniuses. There's a guy who writes the show and he put together this whole Wheel of Fortune thing. He's extremely details oriented, too. You see it in his writing. He writes like he's a college professor and he's like 26.
Jim Thornton [:They're such fascinating people.
Vanessa Hankins [:They really are. They. They bring so much to the table that I don't. And I see this every day. Like, I see it at Safetytown every day. And not to discredit teachers, but, you know, usually when they come, they're like, oh, you know, we have a kid that's on the spectrum. We don't know if they're gonna be able to drive, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, you know, you are really greatly giving them like this underhanded smack in the face.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, I'm like. Because you don't realize what they're capable of. And usually they do better than the kids who are not on the spectrum because they're so tuned in with like video games and direction and rules that they're right there in it.
Jim Thornton [:And they're so varied. They're so different one from the other. I went to school with Joe Sullivan. Now Joe Sullivan, you know who I'm talking about. I do, yeah. At Huntington High School. And I think he was older than all of us kids. He may have been like 21 or something, or older than us by a few years, but he was still going to Huntington High for some kinds of special classes and all that.
Vanessa Hankins [:And.
Jim Thornton [:And autism awareness was becoming more of a thing back then. That was in the 80s, but he was the one for whom Rain man was based on largely Dustin Hoffman's character. And as we now know, Dustin Hoffman famously quietly slipped into town, went to Guyanda and stayed at Joe's house, which is still there. And I think the mom moved or.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think, yes, maybe passed away. Yes, I think she did.
Jim Thornton [:But yeah, neat guy. He was the kind of guy who you could. You could say, okay, Joe, what's 3,572 times 26,193. And he would tell you, boom, boom, no time pass.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yep.
Jim Thornton [:Fascinating.
Vanessa Hankins [:Very, very, very, very. So do you have a favorite episode or contestant moment that stands out in your head?
Jim Thornton [:Well, yeah, I mean, probably some of the same ones that other people have. I mean, the million dollar winners are just over the moon. Yes, the hundred thousand dollar winners but some of those cool solves and the ones. And honestly, because I'm there, I don't want to say it goes in one ear and out the other, but I tend to forget by the time they air what happened, because every day there's some kind of gem.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right.
Jim Thornton [:And so, like, Greek mythological hero Achelous, the poor kid from Indiana University, he was, like, 22. He didn't know Achilles, you know, but then he wound up winning the bonus round, so he laughed it off. Even then. You love that kind of spirit in people, too, when they can take a loss. You know what? I'm fun. Thanks, Pat. Thanks, Ryan.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. Well, and that's the big thing. We were actually having this conversation last night at my daughter's volleyball game. The team we were playing were not that good, but when they would score, like, their enthusiasm and, like, some of the parents were like, gosh, like, why are they getting so excited? They're losing. And I'm like, they're so excited that they did a good play or, you know, and I was like, I love it. Like, I was clapping for the other team, and people are looking at me like I'm crazy on our bleachers, you know, And I'm like, I just love. I love people's happiness. So, like, I could see being in your position, like, I would just.
Vanessa Hankins [:I would eat it up, I'm sure.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. Because you also realize this way, too, for being the homecoming grand marshal. To me, I feel like I am kind of a lightning rod. I'm living everybody's experience through this moment, and not like I just, oh, here, little people, you know, yes, yes. Let's live this together. But it's more like, yeah, let's bring it on. Let's all share in this fun together. And because I feel like I'm every person, you know, in Huntington and the Tri State area and every Marshall alum, you know, we're all kind of in this together, and I just kind of get to experience what you would do if you could be me.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah, absolutely.
Jim Thornton [:Enjoy this. Wonderful.
Vanessa Hankins [:What a time to be the grand marshal for Marshall. Like, what a time. Like, we're doing fantastic things at Marshall. Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:The football team is rocking.
Vanessa Hankins [:They really are. They are.
Jim Thornton [:Ryan was giving me a little bit of an elbow about the UGA game. You know, those guys are huge.
Vanessa Hankins [:They are. They're massive.
Jim Thornton [:But our players are just absolutely. They were steam coming out of their ears and out of their noses, like, Marco, the Bison. But, you know, really, they just bring it on. I know they're going to bring it on against Texas State.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. They're going to do fantastic.
Jim Thornton [:Yes.
Vanessa Hankins [:So we've already kind of talked about your favorite parts of the show and, you know, things like that. So let's talk a little bit more about your childhood here. What schools did you attend and what are some of your biggest memories from your child school days?
Jim Thornton [:We had to bring up my childhood again. Oh, it was great. Well, I went to Commack elementary and Junior High and then I went to Huntington High School. That was my schooling. And those years at Que Mac were. I loved them. I just, you know, or I look back on it and I think what a great, wonderful little time to be a little kid, you know, in the 70s. And so that was great.
Jim Thornton [:I was. I grew up Memorial Park Drive, which is up above the Memorial Arch.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:And our house is still there. My dad remodel, you know, changed everything right after my mom died. Around the time she died, he put a bigger upper story on it, but it's still there and everything. I've met the people who are owners now. They're great people.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's nice. It's always nice to go back home.
Jim Thornton [:Just like knocked on their door, hey, you don't know me, but can I.
Vanessa Hankins [:Check out your house? Thank you.
Jim Thornton [:Really good people. And the neighborhood still just good people there, like I say. But I was a little woods kid. I was a nature boy. I was always out in the woods and I'd be, you know, I was fascinated by plants and still am. My son is too. Especially things you could eat, you know, like anise and ginger, things that would. Grew a little bit Dutchman's breeches that would bloom in the springtime there around the hill from us and all that.
Jim Thornton [:And growing up. So I caught crawdads in Fort Pole Creek. I went hunting and fishing with my dad and it was always just outdoors. I wasn't so much the sportsy kind kid really. I was athletic, but more like I was strong, outdoor type, climbing trees and doing stuff.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right. So when you come home, where's the first place you stop and eat?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, well, I mean, Stewart's quite often. I'm a little more partial to Frost top because I love that frosty mug. But to me, I could eat at Midway or any or hillbilly hot dogs and, you know, be just as happy. Yes, but there's gyms, of course. Clearly.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:I mean, gyms. I love gyms. And growing up, you know. And I love what Vicky's done over there too.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:She expanded the.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, yes.
Jim Thornton [:Which by the way which dovetails into what I'm doing tonight. Now. When will this be heard?
Vanessa Hankins [:In a couple days.
Jim Thornton [:Okay, so it will have happened already.
Vanessa Hankins [:It will have already happened.
Jim Thornton [:I'm really excited about Meet Jim's. Jim at Jim's.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. How fun and catchy.
Jim Thornton [:I'd love to know how it came out.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:But that's going to be if I don't. So I'm wearing a white shirt, which.
Vanessa Hankins [:Is a big mistake for spaghetti, but.
Jim Thornton [:Gems, you know, and. But I love all that. We have so many good restaurants.
Vanessa Hankins [:We really do. And we have a lot of places that ship food out to people who have moved away now. Like Stewart's, for example. They will.
Jim Thornton [:That's true. They will. There's another place. I'll give a shameless plug to it, and that is in Proctorville. Kattimale's. I know the people over there. You like Katimale's. Wonderful.
Jim Thornton [:Like, Italian food, pizza, wood fire pizza. So it's Katy Molly's on Route 7, just off the bridge there. So just slightly upriver, as I say.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm glad that you did that little plug because we're trying to get. We don't have a whole lot of stories that come from over in Ohio, which is funny to me because I'm in Ohio. Like, that's where I graduated high school, Chesapeake High School. So, like, I've been, like, begging, like, class, like people from my class and stuff like that. Come on the podcast. Talk about what life is like now for you as an adult still living there, you know, because all I have.
Jim Thornton [:Is Huntington, because why would there be a barrier, you know? But, yeah, oh, Chesapeake's beautiful. My aunt. My dad's sister, Adele Thornton Lewis passed away a few years ago, But. And she was a brilliant artist. She's the one who did that backdrop, the Huntington picture that hangs up on the walls when you walk into buildings or whatever. It's got the skyline of Huntington. But she had a place up there in Chesapeake above the river. You can see it from Huntington very easily.
Jim Thornton [:It kind of looks like an A frame, but that's where she.
Vanessa Hankins [:I know what house you're talking about.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. Beautiful place, beautiful home. And so on the gate, it said back then, it said from a distance.
Vanessa Hankins [:Because her thinking was, I know exactly what house you're talking about. I've always loved it. When I was a kid, I was always like, I wonder, what's the story? Where the gate was there. Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:Well, that's cool.
Vanessa Hankins [:Are there any people or teachers from your Huntington days that really influenced you to who you are today.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, my favorite teachers at Commack were Christy Groves, she taught third grade. And Neil Harper. And I'd love to hook up with them again. Sixth grade, Neil Harper. But they were all great. And in junior high, Gosh, I remember Ms.
Jim Thornton [:Rutherford, she was great. She taught the talented and gifted. I was one of those little select group. I felt like embarrassed because I thought that name is awfully off putting everybody's talented, you know. But they put us in there, which was great. She was. And then Mrs. Merritt, Lois Merritt, who just passed away at 91 or 92.
Jim Thornton [:She was a doll. And she's the sister of Bob Smith, the world famous Bob Smith, who is the anchor that I worked when I worked at wowk. He was anchoring the news there. And I was like, you know, 18, 19. And I was like, so starstruck at working with you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. I could see that.
Jim Thornton [:But anyway, that's. Yeah, those are some of the teachers. But they were, you know, there were some.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. I think that's in everyone's life. And I don't know what it is about sixth grade, but those teachers leave a lasting impact. I think it's like a turning age for you, right, that you're really becoming who you're going to like.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Start to be in adulthood.
Jim Thornton [:Exactly.
Vanessa Hankins [:So. Because that's. That's My favorite teacher was in sixth grade. Mr. Pemberton. So shout out to Mr. Pemberton. He's fantastic.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, he was.
Vanessa Hankins [:He was a great human. He. A lot of. I hated it because a lot of kids like to give him crap because he was a war hero. So like loud noises and stuff would kind of trigger Vietnam. I'm not sure. He didn't really talk about it.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah.
Vanessa Hankins [:Really wasn't his thing. But at that time, you know, years ago, it wasn't. People weren't worried about men's mental health and things like that, like they are nowadays, you know, so people would always like, you know, like do firecrackers and stuff in the hallway outside of his room and stuff like that. And I'm like, I never understood how people could be so cruel to like the kindest human that I'd ever met in my life. And I struggled with math, which was funny because I was in tag, but math was not like it. I did great as far as a grade card went. But like, in my head I struggled because I wanted to do more and I wanted to be better, you know, and he saw that in me and he Was always fantastic. So shout out to Mr.
Vanessa Hankins [:Pemberton.
Jim Thornton [:And I knew Mrs. Pemberton, I think, so maybe they were really. Maybe Pemberton is one of those names that I think of. Like when I hear it, I think of Huntington. Well, Adkins, you can't get her. You know, the phone book used to be full, like, now they don't have phone books, but it was like half of it was Adkins.
Vanessa Hankins [:Adkins, yes.
Jim Thornton [:Crimeans. There are certain names that I just think, you know. Hatfield, obviously.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. So what's something uniquely tri state that you carry with you today?
Jim Thornton [:That's a interesting question. Gosh, there's so much, you know, I mean, probably certain memories, certain. Like fall time and I think of smoke in the air. I think of molasses being made with this sorghum being crushed, those kinds of things. And I think I would.
Vanessa Hankins [:Things that you experience here in Appalachia, spring and fall.
Jim Thornton [:Right. And the smell of. Of leaves under your feet, dry leaves, you know, as you walk through the woods. And even, I don't know, some of the smells of the. Some of the chemical smells that used to come from various places.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree. Yes.
Jim Thornton [:You know, in the morning, like in the snow. And that smell of honeysuckle on a summer morning when I used to wake up early in the summer and I was so excited and I would go and eat the little honey.
Vanessa Hankins [:Pull the little nectar things out. Yeah, little tentacles or whatever they're called.
Jim Thornton [:Right.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's those kinds of.
Jim Thornton [:Kinds of things, I think, to me, that always just are so evocative of Huntington. Of course, the people are great too, but those kinds of smells, the sensory sorts of things.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, absolutely.
Jim Thornton [:Back here.
Vanessa Hankins [:So if someone listening today is from a small town like Huntington and they're dreaming big, what would be your advice to them to kind of take that leap and make it happen?
Jim Thornton [:I would say go for it. It. But it's not as simple as that. I would say whatever you're trying to do, think about yourself as a product like Coca Cola. You don't want it to be the new Coke. You want it to be Coca Cola that people know, recognize they want and make your product as good as it possibly can be. Whatever it takes to do that. For some people, they want to be a neuroscientist.
Jim Thornton [:Look at whatever other neuroscientists have done in their field and aim for the top of that.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Jim Thornton [:Or. Or if you want to be an actor, take a look at who you are, a really honest look at how you can become that Coca Cola or that, whatever your favorite drink is. Sprite, Mountain Dew, whatever. And you're a product. And then take that and then keep making it better. Constantly improve yourself. And then don't get out of your comfort zone.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's what I was going to say. I think a lot of it is getting out of that comfort zone and.
Jim Thornton [:Do it in a comfortable way.
Vanessa Hankins [:Same old, same old.
Jim Thornton [:Leap off like I would. Went 3,000 miles away. That was crazy. At 19.
Vanessa Hankins [:19. Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:I didn't know how homesick I would be, for one thing, but that would be kind of my advice. Yeah, I always point that Mark Twain attribution out. Nobody really knows if he said it or not, but it was 20 years ago. You'll regret more the things that you didn't do than the ones you did do.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:Cast off the bow lines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Sail away from safe harbor. That's the crystalline line. And it's something like dream, explore, discover.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, absolutely. So what is your favorite thing to do when you're not working? Is it still going out in the woods?
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. You know, we have a little hobby farm where my wife and son are. It's just a piece of property. And I get up there and work and it kind of keeps me in shape. But I put up fences. I'll put up, you know, dig trenches, all kinds of stuff, you know, that sort of thing. And there's always something to do out there. Usually it's something that gets me quite winded or something that's quite heavy and had a hernia two years ago to show for it.
Jim Thornton [:I was lifting up these, putting in.
Vanessa Hankins [:Work on the farm.
Jim Thornton [:I was setting fence post, but I used. Instead of just fence posts, I was putting up gate posts and I used railroad ties. Those are not light.
Vanessa Hankins [:No, they're not.
Jim Thornton [:By yourself? Good and bad. So, yeah. But I'm good to go now. It keeps me in great shape. So I feel like I'm in my 20s today.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. That's awesome. So what's a hobby or interest that most people don't know you have? Do you think it would be working on your farm?
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, sure. I think so. I paint and draw and I'd like to get back into that again a little more. But that's kind of a. Seems like a passe kind of anachronism. Something that's not done as much anymore. But I always painted and drew and used to sing a lot more than I do now. But I think painting and drawing would be fun to do at watercolors.
Jim Thornton [:I come from an artistic family. Like I say, my aunt was an artist and so was my grandmother, her mother, you know, my dad's mom.
Vanessa Hankins [:And so it's nice that you have that characteristic to carry with you that you got from them. That's awesome. Well. So if Wheel of Fortune ever did a Tri State Week, what do you think it would look like?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, wow. A Tri State Week.
Vanessa Hankins [:The y'. Alls.
Jim Thornton [:Oh, gosh. I mean, I think of the landmarks, obviously, we would put up, you know, the West Virginia State Capitol building. Is it still the tallest building in the. In West Virginia? 220.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think it is. I think it is.
Jim Thornton [:Okay. Yeah, we'll get our statisticians. Fact checker. But it's such a beautiful building. Oh, my.
Vanessa Hankins [:It really is.
Jim Thornton [:You know, we'd have pictures of the Kanawha Valley and other places. Fmc, you know, we'd have the Ohio river, the bridge down there, close to my house, the. The, you know, the east end, the 31st Street Bridge, 6th Street Bridge, Camden Park. Oh, gosh.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, so fun. I don't know.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah, we'd do it like a day at Camden park, right?
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes. How fun would that be?
Jim Thornton [:I brought my son back there. And I don't know when the last time you was, but I know we're there. But I know a lot of people go back.
Vanessa Hankins [:My daughter loves. She's 13 and she loves Camden Park. She loves it. Like, I loved it when I was a kid. And she's not, like, she doesn't get in on the jokes of, like, if the Big Dipper's still standing, you can too. All that. She's like, why do people say that it's the funnest ride there is.
Jim Thornton [:And I'm like, you're right, because it's 120 years old. Yeah. My dad rode that thing, you know, and so, yeah, it's. But I think that there, you know, there's obviously those landmarks and those institutions that we would talk about and just. We'd hang out with the contestants, you know, people who would.
Vanessa Hankins [:I'm picturing Vanna with instead of Mickey ears. Like, when you go to Disney, I'm mixing her with, like, corn dogs for the.
Jim Thornton [:Oh, yeah. I thought you could see Mothman or something.
Vanessa Hankins [:Or Mothman. Something like that.
Jim Thornton [:Ryan could dress up as a Mothman.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:But, yeah, we. So many things that are so cool about this area, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely.
Jim Thornton [:But we tend to get bagged for, like, okay, biggest obesity rate and, you know, this and that kind of thing or whatever. It is, you know, it's like there's a lot more to us than that, you know.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right.
Jim Thornton [:And a lot of us, you know, are quite. We have our teeth, you know, those old stereotypes. There is so many stereotypes, and no, people know. We're well rounded.
Vanessa Hankins [:I think. I think in the world today, especially with having social media, people are seeing now more than ever that we do have our teeth intact. We're not marrying our cousins, you know, and that. That was happening all over the country, not just in Appalachia.
Jim Thornton [:Yep. The joke I tell when the audience, like, if we have somebody from West Virginia, you know, the thing about West Virginians is, you know, those stereotypes we're talking about are gone. Okay. We wear shoes sometimes, but there's still moonshining that goes on. In fact, a friend of mine married a moonshiners daughter 25 years ago, and he says, jimmy, to this day, I love her still.
Vanessa Hankins [:Mm. I love that her still.
Jim Thornton [:See, you can kind of translate it to other.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, he loves it because. Yes, I love that. That's fantastic. So looking back, what's been the most rewarding part of your career?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, gosh. I mean, in a broad sense, just getting to do what I wanted to do since I was a little boy.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:Wow. And then not only that, but having it turn out to be what I had hoped it would be.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:I think. Or envisioned more because a lot of.
Vanessa Hankins [:People get into something that they think they're gonna love and it's not quite what they envisioned, you know?
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. They want to be whatever it is as a little kid. They play, you know, play doctor or whatever it is, you know, and it's. It's a lot of work, or they want to teach, they want to be a teacher. They find out. This just sucks.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:You know, but I'm just so. And it's such a privilege to get to be that person who is sitting in the chair for everybody else.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:I'm just. Wow. Listen to this, you guys.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yeah.
Jim Thornton [:That's how I feel when I'm doing it. So it's just wonderful.
Vanessa Hankins [:That's exciting.
Jim Thornton [:I hope that wasn't too much of a platitude to.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, no, no, no, no. I love it because it's. It is what it is. It's the truth. And you are thankful and you're grateful for the experience.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. And I never take.
Vanessa Hankins [:Each time.
Jim Thornton [:I never take a step of it for granted because I know where I came from and how, you know, we. I didn't grow up in a big fancy household. We were, you know, we were fine. We were well off or whatever, but, you know, it was so far away from Hollywood and from la, I just never take a second of it for granted at all. And having starved when I first got off the.
Vanessa Hankins [:Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure, yes.
Jim Thornton [:In LA, like anybody else. 19 years old.
Vanessa Hankins [:So what advice, if any, that you would change would you give your younger self when you were just starting out? Out?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, I would say take a few more chances. I was careful, and I always wanted to work real hard, but I didn't always work the best. You know, one thing I would have done is not sold my car. I had a Honda Civic that my dad was nice enough to buy me just as I entered college, and I sold it to a friend of mine before I went, oh, I'll get another one in that one. Yeah, I don't want to drive my Honda Civic across the country, you know, I don't know if it would have made it, honestly. Would have been nice to have. Rather than riding the bus everywhere.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right. Absolutely.
Jim Thornton [:Oh, that was awful.
Vanessa Hankins [:You know, it's funny, my little brother did the same thing when he moved to St. Louis. He was like, nobody drives here. I'm not gonna need my car. And as soon as he got there, he was like, oh, my gosh, I wish I had my car. And bought a new one shortly after.
Jim Thornton [:Because suddenly you're just stuck.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:You're just sitting.
Vanessa Hankins [:And he was like, you know, the buses only take you certain places and things like that. So he was in the same boat, right?
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. Like having your wings clipped.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right. How do you define success now compared to when you were younger?
Jim Thornton [:Well, I mean, I would say if you are fulfilling some kind of purpose, you know, and that success, if you're. Especially if you're creating something that'll live on after you are gone, it's a wonderful thing. And just if you have a roof over your head and meals on the table, that's really success.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree.
Jim Thornton [:It really is, no matter what you're doing in life.
Vanessa Hankins [:I agree.
Jim Thornton [:You know, and everything fascinates me that people do that they make, whether they're welding, carpentry. I loved when you talk about hobbies. I love building stuff, you know, with my hands. And, like, I built my son's tree house and, you know, and I just built a nice ramp for my dad's new wife to get up, you know, easily to walk up and stuff to my house and those kinds of things. But I think those are successes, too.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's nice to have something to show that with your own hand. Something you've done with your own hands. Anytime you have something to say about.
Jim Thornton [:That, step back and say, I did that. Whatever it is, in the course of your day, that's a success.
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right, right. So what do you hope that people remember the most about your work or your voice?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, just that. Just that I was happy, that I made them feel. Happy is great, but that brought some happiness to them. That's a huge treasure.
Vanessa Hankins [:There's no doubt in my mind that people feel and get that joy that you bring to the table with your voice. So I don't doubt that at all. So we're gonna do a lightning round just for fun.
Jim Thornton [:Okay.
Vanessa Hankins [:All right, so time now for the lightning round. Yes, Time for the lightning round. Now, I don't have the voice, but what's the last TV show that you binge watched?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, gosh. Oh, it would go back. I'm trying to think now. Probably something with my wife. You know what? Ghosts. Is it that ghosts show?
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:Yeah. That was hilarious.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, that was hilarious.
Jim Thornton [:Hilarious. And it may still be in production, I don't know, but I think it's on Netflix.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes.
Jim Thornton [:I got into a zone where I was watching Eight is Enough recently, but I think ghosts. Sometimes I'll go back and watch. Wow. I haven't seen this show since I was a little kid, you know?
Vanessa Hankins [:Right, right, right, right. Sweet or savory?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, savory.
Vanessa Hankins [:Good one.
Jim Thornton [:Would have been sweet when I was a kid.
Vanessa Hankins [:I get that it changes a lot. Dogs or cats?
Jim Thornton [:Yes, dogs.
Vanessa Hankins [:Dogs. Yeah, that would be my answer, too. Yes. Both. Coffee or tea?
Jim Thornton [:Oh, coffee.
Vanessa Hankins [:If you could have anyone's voice for a day, whose would it be?
Jim Thornton [:Katharine Hepburn? I don't know.
Vanessa Hankins [:I was gonna say. What a random.
Jim Thornton [:The loons. Lawman.
Vanessa Hankins [:Hello.
Jim Thornton [:The loons. You all. Yeah, I don't know if I can have any. I am. That is a hard thing.
Vanessa Hankins [:It's okay to uniquely appreciate your own and not want someone else's own.
Jim Thornton [:I'm pretty happy with this one, you.
Vanessa Hankins [:Know, it served you well.
Jim Thornton [:Gosh. I mean, the lead singer of Boston, let's say something like that. Like that, you know, Or Freddie Mercury. It's not Freddie Mercury. I'm sorry. I'm not doing very good. It's not exactly a lightning answer. Freddie Mercury.
Vanessa Hankins [:Good answer. That's a great answer.
Jim Thornton [:Really? He could hit those super high notes, but he. He played his instrument so perfectly. You listened to it with the flourishes. Wow.
Vanessa Hankins [:Absolutely. I agree. Finish this sentence. You know you're from Huntington when.
Jim Thornton [:You put slaw on a dog.
Vanessa Hankins [:Yes, that's the perfect answer.
Jim Thornton [:Although I'm not a big fan of the slaw dog. I can eat him.
Vanessa Hankins [:So for just for fun, can you give us your best radio voice introduction to the Tri State Time Machine? Sure.
Jim Thornton [:Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Tri State Time Machine with Vanessa.
Vanessa Hankins [:I love it. I love it. I might need to change my intro now. All right, Jim, thank you so much for taking the time to join us here at Tri State Time Machine. It's always exciting and gives hope to everyone in our area that, you know, you can make it big if you want to. Absolutely. So that's exciting. We love to see people from our area make an impact beyond it.
Vanessa Hankins [:And of course, next time we're watching the Wheel of Fortune, we'll listen in a little bit more closely. Yes, and we want to thank you for keeping a piece of Huntington on primetime TV every night.
Jim Thornton [:Aw. Thank you.
Vanessa Hankins [:You're welcome.
Jim Thornton [:It's my privilege.
Vanessa Hankins [:Big thanks to our editors over at Circle270 Media out of Columbus. And guys, we are out of here.
Announcer [:Thanks for listening to the Tri State Time Machine. If you have a memory you want Vanessa to talk more about, just send her an email@tstmail.com or post a comment on the Tri State Time Machine Facebook page. Did you like the episode? Be sure to share it with friends and family. It's the only way we can continue this fun work that we do. You can find a link in the show notes that you can use to share it.
