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".
Life and career 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 and stayed 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 where he separately worked with Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton. Thompson's second album Resister Twister was released in 1987 and was 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.
Thompson died in Hayward, California on February 15, 2020, at the age of 66, due to complications from diabetes.
Discography Year Title Record label 1983 Treat Her Like Gold Takoma 1987 Resister Twister Blind Pig 1990 Just Like a Devil (Recorded Live) Winner 1998 Magic Touch Poore Boy 2003 Just Pickin' (1970's material) Acrobat 2004 Still Resisting (reissue of Resistor Twister) Poore Boy 2007 Resonator 32-20 Records 2015 Son of Boogie Woogie Little Village Foundation 2020 From the Patio: Live at Poor House Bistro, Vol. 1 (recorded 2014) Little Village Foundation
With John Lee Hooker The Cream (Tomato, 1978)
See also List of electric blues musicians
References
External links Madera Tribune article (2004) Takoma Records discography