An English musician, guitarist, and composer is named Richard John Thompson. In particular, he is well-known for his early work with the English folk rock and electric rock band “Fairport Convention” and for his relationship with the well-known vocalist Linda Thompson, who was once his ex-wife. Numerous well-known vocalists, including June Tabor, Joel Fafard, Maria McKee, Shawn Colvin, Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy, Nanci Griffith, and others, have performed his tunes over the years. In honor of his lengthy musical career, he was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2011 New Year’s Honors for contributions to music. In addition, he has received honors such as the BBC Radio Lifetime Achievement Award, the Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Acoustic Guitarist, the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriting, etc. Being a devoted follower of Sufism, Thompson lived a solitary life for nearly his entire life. Despite this, he garnered significant praise from critics for his incredible guitar compositions and his rich, dark wit and lyrics. He is still penning music and doing international tours now.
Early Life & Childhood
Thompson was born to a Scotland Yard detective in Notting Hill, London, England. His father was an amateur guitarist, thus he was raised in a family where everyone had a musical bent in one way or another.
While attending the William Ellis School in Highgate, London, he continued to pursue his passion for music and the guitar. There, he joined up with Hugh Cornwell, a fellow student who would go on to become the lead guitarist and singer of “The Stranglers,” to form his first band, Emil and the Detectives.
Thompson began performing with the folk rock and electric folk group “Fairport Convention” when he was eighteen. Joe Boyd, an American producer, was captivated by his music and chose to sign the band to his Witchseason production and management company in addition to mentoring them.
Richard Thompson’s Career
With the publication of “What We Did on Our Holidays,” an album by Fairport Convention, in 1969, Thompson’s songwriter career began to take off. His songs “Meet on the Ledge,” “Crazy Man Michael,” and “Sloth” became incredibly well-known. In 1971, following the band’s van crash on the way home from a performance at Birmingham’s Mothers nightclub, Thompson made the decision to quit the group. Thompson lost his girlfriend, and the band lost its drummer, Martin Lamble.
In 1972, he launched his solo album titled “Henry the Human Fly.” He has worked with musicians such as Linda Peters, Sandy Denny, Andy Roberts, and others. Although the record was mocked by the media at the time, it is now quite well-known. Together with button accordionist John Kirkpatrick and former Fairport Convention members Dave Pegg on bass and Dave Mattacks on drums, Thompson and Linda Peters, who were now a couple, formed the electric band “Sour Grapes” in 1974. The next year, the group embarked on a British tour.
After being recently converted to Sufism, Thompson left the city to form a Sufi community in the English countryside. In 1978, he resumed work on “First Light.” Although the album received positive reviews, it did not do well financially. Boyd recorded the album “Shoot Out the Lights” after signing Thompson to his label Hannibal. Because Linda was pregnant, the album’s release was postponed until 1982. The record was a hit on the market.
Following the success of “Shoot Out the Lights,” he and his wife chose to keep their professional relationship going, but they separated. However, they had a very serious falling out, and Thompson published “Hand of Kindness” without Linda in 1983.
His final album with Boyd was “Across a Crowded Room,” which was recorded in 1985. In the same year, he signed a major contract with PolyGram and relocated his headquarters to California to live with Nancy Covey, his new wife.
He was unable to generate much money in the 1990s, despite continuing to garner excellent accolades for his work from critics. He put out albums titled “You? Me? Us? (1996),” “Mock Tudor (1999), “Rumor and Sigh (1991),” and “Mirror Blue (1994).”
Paul Bernays directed the BBC documentary “Solitary Life,” which was about his musical career, in 2003 after he turned down a contract renewal with Capitol. Thompson was interviewed for it, and Bonnie Raitt, her ex-wife Linda, Nancy, and others contributed. When he released “Sweet Warrior” in 2007, the record was licensed to several labels across the globe, including Proper Records in the UK and Europe, P-Vine in Japan, Planet Records in Australia, and Shout! Factory in the US.
Thompson assembled a band in 2010 and performed live several times, hoping to record a new album in a live environment. It led to the creation of the album “Dream Attic,” which the same year received a Grammy Award nomination. In 2013, Thompson published “Electric.” Produced by Buddy Miller and recorded in Nashville, the album reached the UK top 20 and garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. He also went on promotional tours in England and America for the album.
Large-scale Works
The true brilliance in Thomson was showcased on his debut solo album, “Henry the Human Fly,” released in 1972. Even though the work wasn’t appreciated at the time of its debut, reviewers have since acknowledged its creative merit many years later.
Honors & Accomplishments
Numerous honors have been bestowed to Thompson, including the Officer of the Order of the British Empire title, the Orville H. Gibson Award for finest acoustic guitar player, the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting, and a lifetime achievement award from BBC Radio.
Individual Life and Heritage
After working together on his solo album “Henry the Human Fly,” singer Linda Peters and Thompson began dating. The two were married in 1972. Teddy Thompson, who is also a musician, is their son. December 1981 saw their separation.
While on his “Shoot Out the Lights” US tour, he developed a closer relationship with Nancy Covey and began an affair with her. Following his divorce from Peters, the two were married in 1985 and relocated to California, where Thompson established his professional base.
Information “Henry the Human Fly” holds the infamous title of being Warner Bros. Records’ worst-selling record ever. In 2010, he received the Mojo Les Paul Award for “Guitar Legend.” The University of Aberdeen bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate in 2011.
Estimated Net Worth
With a $10 million net worth, Richard Thompson is a British musician and composer. April 1949 saw the birth of Richard Thompson in London, England’s Notting Hill Gate. Emil and the Detectives was a band he started in high school. When he was eighteen, he began performing with Fairport Convention. According to some, the band is the most significant unit in the English folk rock scene.