Butch Thompson
American jazz musician (1943-2022)
Richard Enos "Butch" Thompson (November 28, 1943, August 14, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and clarinetist, best known for his ragtime and stride performances.
01Music career
Thompson was born in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, began playing piano at the early age of three, and began taking lessons at age six. At Stillwater Area High School, he played clarinet in the band. In 1962 he joined the Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band in Minneapolis and remained with the band for 20 years. From 1974 to 1986, he was a regular and the original pianist on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Since the 1960s, he led the Butch Thompson Trio.
In the 1970s, Thompson's recordings gained popularity in Europe. He toured the continent extensively in the 1970s and 1980s, both as a solo artist and as a band leader or member. He wrote for jazz publications and produced a radio show, Jazz Originals, for KBEM-FM in Minneapolis.
02Selected discography
- Little Wonder (Triangle Jazz, 1987)
- Yulestride (Daring Records, 1994)
03Death
Thompson died on August 14, 2022, at the age of 78.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Butch Thompson”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- SatchmoFest 2010 Clive Wilson Butch Thompson Listen (cropped).JPG by Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.