Distinguished British bass player, widely recognised as one of the greatest acoustic bass players in the world. In his 40-plus years as a professional musician, Thompson has worked with the cream of the music industry, from Roy Orbison and Rod Stewart to Pentangle, Richard Thompson and John Martyn. His improvisatory style is utterly distinctive.
Born in Teignmouth, Devon in 1939, the son of a miner. At the outbreak of World War ll, his father joined the Royal Navy and was lost in action while crewing submarines. Thompson and his mother soon suffered another tragic loss, with the death of his sister. When he was 6, his mother moved the family to Battersea, hoping that she could find employment in the city.
Danny attended Salesian College in Battersea where he began to feel his passion for music. He dabbled with the guitar, mandolin, trumpet and trombone before settling on the double bass. Unable to afford a real instrument, he built his own out of a tea chest, with piano wire for strings and and even hinges so that it was collapsible. His main early influence was the blues and especially Big Bill Broonzy. He started his first band around the age of 14.
At 15, Danny left home and rented a room, where he practiced for 10 hours most days and played in local Soho pubs and jazz clubs. He soon graduated to a real double bass after buying one from an old man in Battersea. That instrument, known as 'Victoria', has remained with Thompson ever since.
He began playing in a Glenn Miller-type youth band and then by chance he got an audition to perform at USA Air Force bases. At the age of 16, he got a gig playing at a strip club in Soho, where he got to jam with some experienced jazz musicians of the period. He then got as regular gig with the Nat Allen Orchestra in Streatham, but was then called up for National Service (after getting married 3 days before).
While in the army for the next 3 years, Thompson joined the band but had to have an instrument that he could march with and so took up the trombone. He was soon playing lead trombone in the regimental band. He was also posted to Malaysia for 2 years.
When he returned to the UK, he found that the music scene was changing drastically. In 1963, he became a father (his son, also Danny, went on to be the drummer in Hawkwind) and needed to pay the bills. Luckily he got an opening with Roy Orbison, with whom he played electric bass on 3 tours which also included the Searchers and the Beatles.
In 1964, Thompson joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, replacing Jack Bruce who went on to form Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. He was the longest serving member of Blues Incorporated. At the same time he was working with other jazz greats such as Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott and Harold McNair. He was also able to play with some of the top US artists who could get better-paid gigs in the UK that the USA at that time, including Little Walter, Josh White, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Tom Paxton, John Lee Hooker and Tim Buckley.
Regular television appearances followed and Thompson was now also playing in the Johnny Burch Octet which featured Graham Bond and Ginger Baker, The Poetry Band with Pete Brown as well as his own Danny Thompson Trio with Tony Roberts on saxophone and John McLaughlin on guitar. He also played with the innovative folk guitarist Davey Graham on albums such as Folk Blues and Beyond.
While recording a television show, Thompson met folk guitarist John Renbourn and went along him and Bert Jansch to a folk gig at the Three Horseshoes in Tottenham Court Road. This soon became a regular event and they were joined by Jacqui McShee on vocals. The quartet decided to add a drummer and Thompson recommended Terry Cox, with whom he had played in Blues Incorporated. Pentangle was the result of this collaboration and in 1967 became one of the first supergroups, playing exciting new electric jazz folk fusion and releasing the successful single Light Flight and some acclaimed albums including Basket of Light.
In 1972, Thompson decided to leave Pentangle. He continued to play at Ronnie Scott's and with a wide variety of musicians throughout the 1970s. He went on to perform with Nick Drake on Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, and played with Harold McNair, Tim Buckley, Donovan, Julie Felix, Mary Hopkin, Ralph McTell, Sandy Denny, Tom Paxton and Marc Bolan, to name but a few. It was also during this time that he met John Martyn at the Newport Folk Festival, which was the start of a long creative relationship.
In 1978, Thompson took a break from music and set up a film company called Hero Productions, which became well known for wildlife documentary films.
He returned to music in the 1980s, touring with Donovan and a session musician on albums including Kate Bush's Hounds of Love.
In 1987, Thompson made his own album, Whatever, which featured Bernie Holland (guitar) and Tony Roberts (tenor, alto, flute and Northumbrian pipes) who had played in the Danny Thompson Trio in the mid 1960s and incorporated elements of jazz and folk music.
In 1988, he made an album with Toumani Diabate and members of the Spanish flamenco group Ketama, collectively called Songhai.
Over the next decade, Thompson continued to make occasional albums with various line-ups, and collaborated with artists such as Peter Knight of Steeleye Span, June Tabor and Richard Thompson.
In 1990, he converted to Islam.
Thompson underwent major heart surgery in July 1998, but is now playing as well as ever and continues to tour and record.