RON THOMPSON

 

Ron Thompson (July 5, 1953 – February 15, 2020) was an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Thompson released nine albums after 1983 on labels including Blind Pig. He worked with Little Joe Blue, John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton.

Thompson commented on his preferred style, "blues is like a medicine, or religion to me, it'll cleanse your soul".Meanwhile, Mick Fleetwood stated, "Ron Thompson is my favorite guitarist".

Thompson was born in Oakland, California, United States, and had mastered basic guitar and slide guitar techniques by his mid-teens. He was educated at Newark High School, in Newark, California.In the early 1970s, Thompson played backing to Little Joe Blue, and worked solo and as a sideman in San Francisco Bay Area clubs. He joined John Lee Hooker's backing band in 1975, staying with him for three years. In 1980, Thompson formed his own group, the Resistors, and secured a recording contract with Takoma Records. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1978, 1979 and 1983.

In 1983, he released his debut album, Treat Her Like Gold. Thompson also found employment separately working with Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton. Thompson's second album Resister Twister was released in 1987 and nominated for a Grammy Award, plus 1990's Just Like a Devil, was taken from his work on Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party radio show.

Thompson's 2007 album, Resonator was a purely acoustic production.

Ron Thompson died in Hayward, California on February 15, 2020, at the age of 66, due to complications from diabetes.