Danny Thompson

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For other people named Danny Thompson, see Danny Thompson (disambiguation).

Danny Thompson
Thompson performing in 2008
Thompson performing in 2008
Background information
Also known asHamza Thompson
Born
Daniel Henry Edward Thompson

(1939-04-04)4 April 1939
Teignmouth, Devon, England
Died23 September 2025(2025-09-23) (aged 86)
Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Genres
Occupation
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active1964–2024
LabelsIsland Records, Rykodisc
WebsiteOfficial website
Thompson with Pentangle, in Amsterdam, 1969

Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (4 April 1939 – 23 September 2025) was an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a double bassist. During a long musical career he played with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Martyn. The Times said he had "a technical virtuosity and an intuitive feel for whatever he was playing".

For four years between 1964 and 1967 Thompson was a member of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. He led a trio that included guitarist John McLaughlin and was a founding member of the British folk-jazz band Pentangle. Between 1987 and 2012 he recorded six solo albums. He converted to Islam in 1990.

Life and career

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Thompson was born in Teignmouth, Devon, England, on 4 April 1939.[1][2] He was named after a favourite song of his parents, 'Danny Boy'.[3] His father, a miner, joined the Royal Navy at the start of World War II and was lost in action as a submariner. When Thompson was aged six the family moved to London and he was brought up in the working-class area of Battersea. At school he played competitive football and was a junior for Chelsea, the team he would support for the rest of his life, and was also a competent boxer.[4] While at school he learnt guitar, mandolin, trumpet and trombone before settling on the double bass as his instrument of choice.[5] He played his first professional gig, while under age, in a Soho strip club.[3]

Thpmpson was called up for National Service and spent two years in Penang, Malaysia, where he played trombone in the army band.[6] He was discharged in 1963 and resumed playing double bass. In 1964 he spent £5, to be paid in instalments of five shillings a week, on a double bass at Foote's bass shop in Brewer St, Soho, London, which he used for his entire career. The instrument had been painted brown, but wear and tear revealed it to be an original, and valuable, French Gand,[3] made in 1865. As the instrument was from the Victorian era he named it "Victoria".[7][8][9] He acquired a second double bass in 2007 for use when travelling overseas.[4]

His varied session work, often three sessions in a day,[4] ranged from working with Marianne Faithfull to the theme tune of Thunderbirds,[4] and "most nights he could be found playing in jazz clubs.[4] For four years between 1964 and 1967 he was a member of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, replacing future Cream bassist Jack Bruce.[4] He led a trio that included guitarist John McLaughlin.[10] Thompson was a member of the folk-jazz group Pentangle throughout its first incarnation (1967–1973)[10] and in some of its subsequent versions and reunions.[5]

In the early 1980s he worked with documentary film-maker Roy Deverell to compose music for two of his award-winning films, Echo of the Wild and A Passion to Protect, about John Aspinall's work with endangered mammals.[11][12] In 1987 Thompson released his debut solo album, Whatever, to critical acclaim and recorded three more.[10]

While he had his own album releases, Thompson was predominantly a session musician contributing to other artists' recordings and tours. He worked with John Martyn[10][5] and with Richard Thompson on Mirror Blue (1994),[13] The Old Kit Bag (2003)[14] and the concert DVD release Richard Thompson Live in Austin Texas (2001), (from the Austin City Limits televised concerts).[15] Between 1995 and 2013 he was a member of the house band in five of the six series of the BBC/RTE Transatlantic Sessions.[16][17][18][19][20] Thompson received a Lifetime achievement award in the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[21] After several years of "rock'n'roll" touring with John Martyn,[4] he bought a 16th century manor house and 27 acres of land in Suffolk and took up horse-riding and bird-watching.[4]

On 8 June 2024 Thompson performed at the Royal Albert Hall London as part of Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson's 75th birthday celebration. Than aged 85, he contributed to an acoustic section which featured a guest appearance from Ralph McTell, with Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil on fiddle and John Etheridge of Soft Machine on guitar.[22]

Reported by Uncut magazine, Kate Bush recalled, "You never just worked with Danny. You also worked with his double bass he called Victoria. The two of them were joined at the hip and together they were the most fascinating storytellers – earthy and of the wild."[23]

Private life and death

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Thompson lived in Clopton, Suffolk, during the late 1970s and early 1980s with his wife, Daphne, and son Dan (Danny Junior), who became the drummer with Hawkwind (1985–88).[24] Early in the 1980s he moved back to London. He converted to Islam in 1990 and adopted the Muslim name Hamza.[25][26]

Thompson died at his home in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, on 23 September 2025, at the age of 86.[27][28][29]

Partial discography

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Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated

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  • Red Hot from Alex (1964)[30]
  • Sky High (1966)[31]
  • Blues Incorporated (1967 – re-issue of Sky High)

Alexis Korner

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  • I Wonder Who (1967)[32]
  • A New Generation of Blues (1968)[33]

Pentangle

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Danny Thompson

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Danny Thompson, Allan Holdsworth and John Stevens

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  • Propensity (2009, recorded 1978)[37]

Dizrhythmia

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Richard Thompson

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Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson

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Jon Thorne & Danny Thompson

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  • Watching the Well (2010)[39]

John and Beverly Martyn

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Others

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Danny Thompson has played on dozens of albums and singles during his career. The following is only a small selection.

References

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  1. ^ "Danny Thompson Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  2. ^ Cartwright, Garth (29 September 2025). "Danny Thompson obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Obituary Danny Thompson, double bass player and founder member of Pentangle who defied genres and conventions". www.thetimes.com. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Obituary Danny Thompson, double bass player and founder member of Pentangle who defied genres and conventions". www.thetimes.com. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Chilton, Martin (28 March 2014). "Danny Thompson: bass player for the greats". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  6. ^ Del Fabbro, Lauren (24 September 2025). "'Legendary' bass player Danny Thompson dies aged 86". The Independent.
  7. ^ Cartwright, Garth (29 September 2025). "Danny Thompson obituary" – via The Guardian.
  8. ^ Matthew Bannister (3 October 2025). "Last Word - Dame Jane Goodall, Tony Harrison, Lord Menzies Campbell, Danny Thompson - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk.
  9. ^ David Gallant (28 February 2003). "Danny Thompson - Bass". Jazzwise.
  10. ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1176. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  11. ^ "Echo of the Wild (1977)". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023.
  12. ^ "A Passion to Protect (1983)". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Mirror Blue – Richard Thompson" – via www.allmusic.com.
  14. ^ "The Old Kit Bag – Richard Thompson" – via www.allmusic.com.
  15. ^ "Live From Austin, TX – Richard Thompson" – via www.allmusic.com.
  16. ^ Eadie, Douglas (2012). Transatlantic Sessions 5 (Media notes). Series 5. BBC Four.
  17. ^ Transatlantic Sessions 6 (Media notes). Series 6. BBC Four. 2013.
  18. ^ Transatlantic Sessions 4 (Media notes). Series 4. BBC Four. 2009.
  19. ^ Eadie, Douglas (2011). Transatlantic Sessions 2 (Media notes). Series 2. BBC Four.
  20. ^ Eadie, Douglas (1995). The Original Transatlantic Sessions (Media notes). BBC Four.
  21. ^ "Folk Awards 2007". BBC – Radio 2.
  22. ^ Gatz (9 June 2024). "Richard Thompson's 75th Birthday Bash". theafterword.co.uk.
  23. ^ Richards, Sam (24 September 2025). "Kate Bush remembers Danny Thompson: 'A rare and special treasure'". UNCUT.
  24. ^ "The Artistry of Danny Thompson, part 5: 1980–1986". The Music Aficionado. 29 April 2022.
  25. ^ Sugich, Michael (2019). Hearts turn: sinners, seekers, saints & the road to redemption. [Place of publication not identified]: Telltale Texts. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-0-9893640-0-3. OCLC 1096187819.
  26. ^ The Real Danny Thompson. Archived 30 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine. "In 1999 Danny was interviewed for the BBC TV series Faces of Islam in which he discussed becoming a Muslim and his realisation of the fact that whilst he had only converted to Islam in 1990, the Muslim faith had always been within him."
  27. ^ Murray, Robin (24 September 2025). "Legendary Bassist Danny Thompson Has Died". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  28. ^ Scott, Danni (24 September 2025). "'Force of nature' and legendary bassist Danny Thompson dies age 86". Metro.
  29. ^ Fabbro, Lauren Del (24 September 2025). "Acoustic bass player Danny Thompson has died aged 86". The Standard.
  30. ^ "'Red Hot From Alex' Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated". alexis-korner.net.
  31. ^ "'Sky High' Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated". alexis-korner.net.
  32. ^ "'I Wonder Who?' Alexis Korner". alexis-korner.net.
  33. ^ "'A New Generation Of Blues' Alexis Korner". alexis-korner.net.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Danny Thompson – DISCOGRAPHY". Danny Thompson.
  35. ^ "Peter Knight & Danny Thompson". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  36. ^ "Danny Thompson: Connected". Danny Thompson. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  37. ^ "Propensity – Allan Holdsworth / John Stevens / Danny Thompson". AllMusic.
  38. ^ a b "DIZRHYTHMIA discography (top albums) and reviews". Jazz Music Archives.
  39. ^ "Review of Jon Thorne and Danny Thompson – Watching the Well". BBC Music.
  40. ^ "Songs From A Eurasian Journey – a Studio release by AYUO TAKAHASHI artist / band". www.proggnosis.com.
  41. ^ "Stranger Inside". burningshed.com.
  42. ^ "GospelFlava.com – Reviews – The Blind Boys of Alabama (Spirit of the Century)". www.gospelflava.com.
  43. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Duffy's Nucleus: Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  44. ^ "sound vision recordings". 26 October 2020.
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