Post your questions for Richard Thompson
Ahead of new album Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, the British folk music legend will join us to answer your questions From Fairport Convention to his musical partnership with then-wife Linda and on to solo albums that still trouble the UK charts, Richard Thompson is an undisputed icon of British folk music – and ahead of his latest release, entitled Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, he’s joining us to answer your questions.…
Key points
- Richard Thompson, 77, will answer reader questions ahead of his 20th solo studio album, Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, due out 16 October.
- Questions must be posted in the comments before 10am BST on Monday 12 October, with answers published the following Friday.
- Thompson began his career in his teens with Fairport Convention and later formed a duo with his then-wife Linda, whom he married in 1972.
British folk musician Richard Thompson will answer reader questions ahead of the release of his 20th solo studio album, Hippies, Thugs and Heroes. The album is due out on 16 October.
Readers can post questions in the comments before 10am BST on Monday 12 October. The answers will be published in the following Friday's Film & Music section and online.
A career spanning decades
Thompson, now 77, began his career in his teens when he formed Fairport Convention. The band moved away from covers and folk standards toward new material, and albums such as 1969's Liege and Lief became part of the British folk canon.
He later went solo, then formed a duo with his wife Linda, whom he married in 1972. Their albums included I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Pour Down Like Silver. Thompson converted to Islam, specifically Sufism, and spent time away from music before returning in the late 1970s. After splitting with Linda, he based himself in the US with his new partner.
New album and collaborations
Thompson's work draws on global cultures, the fringes of rock music and various folk forms, backed by what the article describes as astoundingly accomplished guitar playing. He has collaborated with figures including Werner Herzog, David Byrne and Harry Shearer.
He also attempted to synthesise an entire millennium of music in his show 1000 Years of Popular Music, which ranged from Sumer is Icumen In to Oops! I Did It Again. His new album features picaresque characters and storytelling, with instinctive songs often recorded in just a couple of takes.
