About
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KEITH THOMPSON: A Life in Blues and Rock
Keith Thompson's musical journey began at the age of five when he first picked up a guitar. By age eight, he was winning talent shows with Beatles covers, and by 14, he was a fixture in local pubs and clubs. His first major professional milestone came in the 1970s with his band Poacher Brown, where he cut his teeth playing grueling six-night-a-week residencies in Germany--a similar circuit that famously shaped The Beatles.
Upon returning to the UK, Keith's reputation as a formidable guitarist grew through his work with the band Bunter and various session projects. His career is marked by an impressive list of collaborators, having shared the stage or studio with Steve Winwood, The Groundhogs, Ten Years After, Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac), and Ruby Turner. He was also a featured artist in a songwriting project produced by the legendary Sir George Martin at the O2 Arena.
As a songwriter, Keith is a finalist of the International Songwriting Competition, and his discography reflects a deep commitment to his craft. While his roots are firmly in blues-rock, his 15 albums explore everything from hard-driving electric riffs to semi-classical compositions and acoustic folk. Recent years have seen him touring extensively across Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, and the UK, often alongside long-time collaborators like saxophonist Patsy Gamble and drummer Roy Adams.
Whether through his soul-stirring ballads or his "rip-snorting" blues anthems, Keith Thompson remains a genuinely talented artist whose music is--as RnR Magazine puts it--"a musical gem."
Having toured the length and breadth of the UK and Europe as a solo artist and with his band, a couple of years ago Keith released an acoustic album, "Steel Strings & Bruised Reed" to much critical acclaim. He then followed that with a new acoustic based album called, "Two Minutes To Midnight". Blues In Britain have already stated, "Here is a British blues artist who delivers one of surely the best acoustic based albums you'll hear this year. The recording quality is excellent, and as said, he's in great voice throughout and remains on very fine form as a musician but on top of that is a song-writer of the highest order. Very highly recommended." Thanks Peter Clack (Reviewer)... Time marches on and so does Keith! We are now at about 50 years since Keith took to the stage at age 14! Before that there were a few school concerts etc. but Keith has literally been treading the boards for 4+ decades on a professional level. Many have described his shows as inspirational and his music as uplifting and thought provoking. Keith loves the music played in the band but outside of the band context Keith tended to gravitate to acoustic music and the work of many singer songwriters. The blues and rock influence is still evident and the result on stage and on the album is a very raw and honest collection of songs.
Over the years he has released a lot of
incidental music for television programs and soundtrack projects and he has
sold over 100,000 albums. Keith also writes songs and music
for other artists and musical projects. Recent credits include: Involvement
in a songwriting project produced by Sir George Martin and performed at the
O2 arena, London, UK. Hit songs recorded by various artists, "One Voice",
"Get In My Car and Drive" & "Paradise" and “Road
to Recovery” the AA’s recent theme tune. His song "Preaching
The Blues" was also voted into third place in the "People's Voice"
competition, being the only UK finalist in the International Song-writing Competition
(Blues Category) out of over 16000 entries. Inclusion on box set, "Classic
Rock", Pegasus Records. Compilations by BMG, RCA and guitar on numerous
albums.
Instrumentation: Keith Thompson - Vocal, Guitars/acoustic/electric, slide guitars, Blues Harp, Occasional piano/sax/bass/ukulele
