THOMPSON, RICHARD

born April 3, 1949, London, Eng. English guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His career began in the late 1960s as a member of Fairport Convention, whose intermingling of traditional British folk songs, Bob Dylan obscurities, and haunting original compositions (many by Thompson) inaugurated British folk rock. Along with the impassioned vocals of Sandy Denny, Thompson's intricate, stinging guitar playing gave Fairport Convention its rock edge. The fatalism of English folk ballads remained a hallmark of his songwriting. Thompson left Fairport Convention in 1971 for a solo career, which soon became a partnership with his wife, Linda Thompson (original name Linda Pettifer, later known as Linda Peters; b. 1948, Glasgow, Scot.). Their most notable albums together are I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974) and Shoot Out the Lights (1982). The latter documents a marital relationship in the last stages of deterioration; the Thompsons divorced soon after. Afterward Thompson continued releasing solo albums, featuring as always his bitter but expert songwriting and rapier-quick guitar playing. Over his career he has worked on numerous side projects with a wide range of musicians, including John Martyn, Elvis Costello, Henry Kaiser, David Thomas of Pere Ubu, and David Byrne.