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Tony Thompson Brought Orchestral Power to Drums
11/14/2003 3:26 PM, Reuters
Chris Morris
Drummer Tony Thompson, who died
in an Encino, Calif., hospital Wednesday, proved his
freewheeling musical approach at his first audition for Chic,
according to producer-guitarist Nile Rodgers, Thompson's
longtime partner in the funk-disco group.
"We were playing a simple R&B tune, but his approach was
like the Mahavishnu Orchestra," Rodgers told Billboard.com with
a laugh. "He threw in everything but the kitchen sink."
Thompson -- who distinguished himself as a top session
drummer on numerous '70s and '80s R&B and rock hits -- had been
suffering from renal cell cancer, and underwent surgery earlier
this year. He died three days before his 49th birthday.
Born in New York in 1954, Thompson got his start with the
R&B group LaBelle. In 1977, he took the drum chair in Chic,
which scored the No. 1 R&B hits "Le Freak" and "Good Times."
The signature lick from the latter song became a rhythmic
linchpin in Grandmaster Flash's groundbreaking 1981 rap single
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel."
After Chic dissolved in 1981, Thompson often worked on
producer Rodgers' sessions. One of the most memorable was for
David Bowie 's 1983 album "Let's Dance." Rodgers recalled that
Thompson and former Chic bassist Bernard Edwards were called in
to work on a couple of tracks, and nailed the takes within 15
minutes. "That kind of virtuosity and that kind of musicality
was the essence of what Tony did," Rodgers says.
Thompson also played behind artists as diverse as Madonna
(on "Like a Virgin"), Mick Jagger (on the solo album "She's the
Boss"), Debbie Harry, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross , Rod Stewart ,
Jody Watley , Duran Duran and Robert Palmer .
In 1985, Thompson teamed up with Palmer and Duran Duran's
John and Andy Taylor in the rock unit the Power Station. The
group's self-titled album contained two top-10 hits, "Some Like
It Hot" and the T. Rex cover "Get It On (Bang a Gong)."
The same year, Thompson joined surviving Led Zeppelin
members Robert Plant , Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones , along
with second drummer Phil Collins , for a semi-Zeppelin reunion
at the star-studded Live Aid concert. Said Rodgers, "How many
people can fill John Bonham 's shoes?"
There was talk that Thompson would take Bonham's seat in a
reformed Led Zeppelin, but recording sessions came to a halt
after the drummer was involved in a serious car accident in
1986.
He worked with decreasing frequency in the '90s. Rodgers
believed that Thompson, who he describes as "the loudest
drummer I ever worked with," may have suffered severe hearing
loss. Recalling a session for the 1993 Jimi Hendrix tribute
"Stone Free," the producer says, "I remember playing with him
and realizing, 'Oh my God, it's a different guy."'
Thompson is survived by his wife, Patrice Jennings, and her
two children. Fans can make donations in Thompson's honor via
the TonyThompsonfund.com (http://www.tonythompsonfund.com) Web
site.
Reuters/Billboard
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