Richard Thompson

About the show

Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the ground-breaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he & his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. He left the group by the age of 21 and a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda followed, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist.
In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The Los Angeles Times called him “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan & the best electric guitarist since Hendrix”. Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. He has received lifetime achievement awards for song writing from BBC Radio 2 Awards, Americana Music Association, & holds the prestigious Ivor Novello Award. His song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.” A wide range of musicians have recorded Richard’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos. His massive body of work includes many Grammy nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks.
His genre defying mastery of both acoustic & electric guitar along with engaging energy & onstage wit continue to earn him a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos & writers in Folk Rock history. In 2024 he released Ship to Shore.