Last month, thirty years ago, Tupelo singer/songwriter Paul Thorn entered an Atlantic City boxing ring to face his childhood idol Roberto Duran. Duran is the man behind the famous Hands of Stone. Thorn remembers it as a pivotal moment, and he doesn’t regret it – even though he was bloody. Thorn stated, “Duran whupped at me,” before appearing in Meridian. He whupped me well. He was a better fighter.” Thorn’s side won the fight after six rounds. Both fighters were transported to the hospital for stitches. They rode side-by-side in an ambulance together. A light was turned on inside Thorn’s bleeding head. He said, “That was the sign that I wasn’t going be a champion.” “I was a good fighter at certain levels. I was a Golden Gloves state and regional champion. “I had the skills, but not the super skill that it takes to become a world champion.” Thorn fought three additional fights and won them all. But he knew Duran had shown him that he didn’t have a future in the fight scene. He returned to Tupelo and worked in a furniture factory. There he began to write songs and learned to perform them. He was the son of a Pentecostal preacher and grew up in a home where the devil’s music, such as rock and roll, rhythm and Blues, was common. Taboo. His music was gospel music that he sang in both black and white churches with his father. He kept his rock and roll records from his parents as a child. His life was now dominated by the music of the devil. Recently, that life has come full circle. Thorn and his band recorded their first gospel album, “Don’t let the Devil Ride”. You can watch the documentary “Paul Thorn” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting at 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 7. This is not your average gospel album. Thorn is joined by his band, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the McCrary Sisters. Bonnie Bishop and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s horn section are also on the album. The album was recorded at the famed Sam Phillips Studios, FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals, Ala. and Preservation Hall, New Orleans. Thorn stated, “I had always wanted to make a gospel album.” It’s a tribute to my upbringing. I grew up listening to gospel music at my home and singing gospel music in church. Singing with black people and singing with whites was how I learned to play the piano. It’s in my blood. It’s my roots, my foundation and it had to happen.” Thorn dedicated the album to his father and mother. He said that they approve. Thorn, now 53 years old, has a large fan base across the country and has recorded 11 albums in the last 21 years. His lyrics are often compared to John Prine’s. Thorn said of Prine that he is “the best of the best.” He is a sweetheart. He is my favorite songwriter. His songs are powerful. His songs are so resonant with human emotions. His fans will always be with him. Thorn is the Muhammad Ali of songwriting.” When you go to his concerts, you’ll quickly notice that everyone knows the lyrics and is happy to sing along. Thorn still has the ability to go six or seven rounds and still entertains his audience with stories that relate directly to his songs. He shared a story about how he wrote the song “Viagra”, with the help of his father, a Pentecostal preacher. He said that his father was the one who came up with the idea to rhyme Viagra with Niagara. Thorn smiled and said that his father was a great man of God. However, he isn’t a skilled song writer like I am. Thorn rhymes “failure”, “genitalia” in the song. “Now, you see, that was me,” Thorn said. “Failure, genitalia. Thorn’s songs are full of humor. There are plenty of women who want, lust, and sin. Thorn has experienced it all. Thorn has lived it all and continues to write about it. He said that he still loves boxing. He said, “I watch it every chance that I get.” I love the sport. “I was not able to be a champion, but it is something I love.”_x000D