Danny Thompson, one of the most distinctive bass players in British musical history, has died peacefully at his home in Rickmansworth, aged 86.
Born in Teignmouth in April 1939, Thompson built his own bass out of a tea chest when he was 13, upgrading it to a Gand double bass two years later. By 16 he was playing the dive bars of Soho, and on his return from national service in 1963, he got a gig playing electric bass with Roy Orbison on a tour supported by The Beatles – the one and only time he ever played an electric bass.
Moving through the burgeoning British blues and jazz scene, Thompson played with the likes of Alexis Korner, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin. In 1967, he joined forces with John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Terry Cox and Bert Jansch to form folk-jazz pioneers Pentangle, with Thompson’s unique, fluid double bass style to the fore.
Leaving Pentangle in 1972, he became John Martyn’s primary foil for an imperial phase of albums spanning Bless The Weather to One World. Consistently in-demand with jazz, folk and pop musicians alike, Thompson also played with Kate Bush (on The Dreaming and Hounds Of Love), David Sylvian, Talk Talk and Everything But The Girl.
In 1987, he belatedly embarked on a solo career which eventually produced five albums. He also played on upwards of ten albums with fellow folk-rock trailblazer, Richard Thompson.
“Danny was a force of nature,” read an official statement circulated to press. “A player who served the song and who enriched the lives of every single person he met. He will be sorely missed.”
Tributes have been paid on social media by some of his many fans, friends and collaborators, including Yusuf / Cat Stevens.