Occupation(s) Musician, drummer Role Drummer Name Tony Thompson | Labels Various | |
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Birth name Anthony Terrence Thompson Born November 15, 1954United States ( 1954-11-15 ) Associated acts Died November 12, 2003, Encino, Los Angeles, California, United States Spouse Patrice Jennings (m. 2000–2003) Movies Serious Moonlight, Elizabethan Express Similar People Bernard Edwards, Andy Taylor, Norma Jean Wright, Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin | ||
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Anthony Terrence "Tony" Thompson (November 15, 1954 – November 12, 2003) was an American session drummer best known as the drummer of The Power Station and a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, New York.
Contents
- let s dance david bowie drum lesson preview how to play song tony thompson
- Tony thompson slave to the rhythm
- Chic
- Other bands
- Death and legacy
- References
Tony thompson slave to the rhythm
Chic
Thompson, whose mother was Trinidadian and father was of Antiguan descent, first drummed for the group Labelle, and then for a short while was a member, with Raymond Jones, of the soul/disco band Ecstasy, Passion & Pain. This was followed by a long tenure with Chic, where he helped create hits such as "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," "Le Freak," and "Good Times". He also performed with members of Chic on "We Are Family" and "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge and "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.
Following the temporary disbanding of Chic in 1983, Chic's former guitarist and bassist, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards became prolific producers, and Thompson's drumming was much in demand among their clients. Thompson appeared with numerous artists such as Jody Watley, Madonna (on her 1984 album Like a Virgin), Rod Stewart, Robert Palmer and David Bowie.
Other bands
Thompson was also a member of the band The Power Station along with Robert Palmer, and John Taylor and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. The Live Aid charity benefit concert in 1985 saw Thompson filling in and playing with the Power Station as well as joining the remaining members of Led Zeppelin on stage (along with Phil Collins) at John F. Kennedy Stadium. During a reunion attempt in 1986 it was rumored that Led Zeppelin asked Thompson to join them as a replacement for John Bonham. The reunion stalled in part because fans wanted to see Bonham not Thompson. Thompson was in a serious car accident that year and would not have been able to perform regardless.
Thompson went on to join groups such as The Distance and Crown of Thorns with Jean Beauvoir (playing on their first album Crown of Thorns before leaving the band and subsequently replaced by Hawk Lopez). Thompson was also a founding member of the band That Hideous Strength. In the mid 1990s he rejoined Power Station for their 1996 reunion album Living in Fear and subsequent tour.
Death and legacy
Thompson died within a month of being diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) on November 12, 2003, in Los Angeles. His death occurred just three days short of his 49th birthday, and two months after the death of The Power Station bandmate Robert Palmer from a heart attack. Thompson was a member of the band Non-Toxic at the time of his death. He was survived by his sister, Cookie, wife and two children. On September 19, 2005, Thompson and the rest of the Chic band members were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.
