Performance · Production

Sonny Thompson

real name Alphonso Thompson

US R&B bandleader and pianist

United States · 1923-08-22 – 1989-08-11

Sonny Thompson is credited on 1,897 releases across 635 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1950–2026 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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Photo of Sonny Thompson

1,897

Credits

635

Albums

8

Decades active

486

In collections

Biography

source

Showing the Discogs bio

American R&B pianist, songwriter and bandleader. Married to Lula Reed.
Born on 22 August, 1916 (or 1923) in Centreville, Mississippi - Died on 11 August, 1989 in Chicago, Illinois.
Do NOT confuse with Sylvester Thompson aka Syl Johnson. Both are related to the Federal label.
Began recording in 1946, in 1948 he had two #1 R&B hits on the Miracle (opens in a new tab) label – "Long Gone (Parts I and II)" and "Late Freight". By the early 1950s he had moved on to King Records (opens in a new tab), where he worked in A&R and as a session musician and arranger. At King, he had further R&B Top 10 successes with the singer Lula Reed, who became his wife in 1954. He has numerous songwriting and production credits, and a large number of songs he played on behind, but his early blues and jazz instrumentals and the influence they had on rock’s early course which remained his most lasting legacy.

Bio from Discogs

Credited work

1,897 releases · 635 albums · active 1950–2026

  • Performance · 2,650
  • Production · 86
  • Other credits · 37
  • Engineering · 2

Studios: Ter Mar Studios · West Hampstead Studios · Decca Studios · Atlantic Studios

Discography

Records they worked on — most-collected first.

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