Richard Thompson
The acclaimed English singer, songwriter, and guitarist Richard Thompson OBE was a near contemporary and friend of Bert’s. Richard has been blending traditional Celtic and English music with American rock ‘n’ roll since the mid-1960s when he helped found the seminal British folk-rock band Fairport Convention with whom he made his recording début in September 1967. His songwriting has earned him an Ivor Novello Award and, in 2006, a BBC Radio lifetime achievement award. Richard was appointed OBE in the 2011 Queen’s New Year honours list for services to music. He continues to write and record new material and frequently performs live at major venues throughout the world.
BlackWaterSide
For Bert Jansch
Anne Briggs (about whom Richard wrote his iconic song “Beeswing”) taught Bert Blackwaterside. Richard says he first heard it played by Bert in a folk club and has since performed it throughout his career both solo and with colleagues such as Sandy Denny. He adds: “Bert could take the blues and jazz and traditional British folk music and blend those together into a style. He was also a great songwriter.”
Richard says, “I have two kinds of playing that are very different: acoustic and, of course, electric. For acoustic, Bert really helped me, Doc Watson, also. You know, I started with acoustic guitar at a young age. It helped to be able to get the finger technique going then. There’s also a lot of Scottish influence and Appalachian.”
Richard Thompson’s discography includes studio and live albums as a solo artist, with Fairport Convention and as Richard and Linda Thompson. He has also appeared as a guest musician on the albums of several other artists.