Danny Thompson

Daniel Henry Edward Thompson, known as Danny Thompson, was born on April 4, 1939, in Teignmouth, Devon, England. Acclaimed for his versatile work across jazz, folk, and rock, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music and began his musical journey playing various instruments before settling on the upright bass. Thompson's career took off when he joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated from 1964 to 1966. He then became a founding member of the British folk-jazz band Pentangle, contributing to their albums The Pentangle (1968) and Sweet Child (1968). Throughout his career, he collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Donovan, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Kate Bush, David Sylvian, Talk Talk, and Eric Clapton. In 1987 he co-founded the folk-jazz trio Whatever with John Etheridge and Tony Roberts, which recorded the album Whatever, followed by Whatever Next (1989), and Elemental (1990). Danny Thompson’s Whatever, exploring improvisation and cross-genre performance. Known almost exclusively for his work on the double bass called Victoria (he has consistently avoided the electric bass), Thompson is admired for his lyrical, percussive, and deeply melodic playing. In recognition of his contributions, he received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007. He converted to Islam in 1990 and adopted the name Hamza. Thompson died on September 23, 2025, in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

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