Billy Thompson Interview

Interview by Rob Jones in 2008

"One cannot envision our world without music." -  E Billy Thompson

Born in Indianola, Mississippi, E Billy Thompson, by way of Memphis, Tennessee was raised and formally educated in Boston, Massachusetts. He won a four-year scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston, where he majored in musical composition and arranging. While there he studied with such jazz greats as Jaki Byard, Webster Lewis, Ran Blake, George Russell and Carl Atkins, to name a few.

"I place no restrictions on myself. Life is too short for such limitations and boundaries. I have always felt the need to share who I am and what I am through the gifts that God has given me. I suppose for my own awareness of self, I have always felt the need to grow, to learn and experience life from this world of people and cultures around me. I believe that music is a universal healing force. Traveling around as I do, I've learned that music is the common denominator for open communication in all languages and cultures. Through music, we can touch the heart, touch the soul, make you move when you don't want to. It can calm or raise the passions of man. Through music we hear all of the varied expressions of life's experiences; from fantasies and illusions to gut-level emotions of ecstatic joy and happiness and the depths of sadness and pain; from politics to love ... I love music."

Can you tell us a bit about your childhood, where you grew up and when you first started to sing?

I was born in Sunflower County, Mississippi to a very strong woman, our matriarch. Went through hard times. (We were sharecroppers.) We moved to Memphis, Tennessee when I was about seven years old. Still more hard times. We then moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where things got a little better. Boston was where I was formerly educated and where I went on to study music at the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston.

We were a religious family. One of my older brothers was a preacher (minister) in Boston. All ten of my brothers and sisters sang gospel music, so naturally my singing life began in church as a child. I didn't begin to sing secular songs publicly until about 16 years of age. My mother forbade me. Then my mother went back to Tennessee to visit her sister for a month. When she came home, my name was plastered all over the neighbourhood, advertising a local show for the next weekend. She didn't say much. Threw her hands in the air and walked away. I could see she wasn't terrible upset, so I started doing school dances and more local and regional shows, etc.

Before that, I may have been one of the guys standing under a neighbourhood corner street light, around midnight, singing and harmonising with other guys on the doo-wop tunes of the '50s, like 'In the Still of the Night' and 'Dedicated to the One I love'. We were never told to shut up. I remember lying in bed sometimes hearing beautiful sounds of guys harmonising off in the distance, maybe a couple of streets away.

Who have been your musical influences over the years?

My influences have been many. From the late '50s through the '80s; James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Arthur Prysock, Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross. There are more that could be added. And that's only the men. And then there's gospel.

Except for a short period in the late '70s-early '80s, when I first moved to Los Angeles, I've always worked. Disco had kind of sucked the life out the live shows during that time. I did some acting for awhile. Some small theatres and a couple of nationally known venues in LA did a few small parts (as an extra) in several movies.

Your most recognisable recording among soul fans is 'Black-Eyed Girl' c/w 'Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye', which was originally released on the Columbus label before Wand - could you tell us how this recording came about and could you give us some information about the Columbus label itself?

My first '45' recording was 'Keep Laughing' and 'Words Can't Explain' on Laurie Records. I was in a singing group called the Alteers. A kid named Frankie Flowers and I wrote the lyrics to 'Words Can't Explain', I think that was about 1960 (a good story for another time). Several years later I recorded 'Black-Eyed Girl' and 'Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye' in about 1964 as a single artist. All of these songs  were recorded at ACE Recording Studio in downtown Boston. The producer on the 1964 session (I think he arranged them also) was Hershel Dwellingham. It was a live session, meaning, I recorded live with 17 musicians. The end of an era. I never knew very much about Columbus Records. I was only there a couple of times. I remember that it was a small place on Columbus Ave. in Boston. My next release was in 1986 on a Rick Kellis project called Rick Kellis 'Party for Two' featuring Billy Thompson on Sedona Records out of Los Angeles. It got to number 28 on one of the Billboard charts.  

I lived in Montreal, Canada from 1973 'til 1976. A great fun city and a beautiful country. I lived in Los Angeles from 1978 until 1993 when I left for Spain with a Platters Group. After a year with them, I joined a Drifters group where I toured for 12 years. Occasionally I will still do a concert with the Drifters, this past weekend in Germany for example.

Do you have any idea how many copies of 'Black-Eyed Girl' were actually pressed on the original label?

I have no idea how many copies were pressed on Columbus Label. I was given a small box of them, which I gave to family and friends. Over the years of traveling, I've lost touch with where any of my records could be. My son felt so sorry for me that he gave me his, but it was so scratched and worn, that it was no use to me. So I'm happy now that I have the MP3s you sent. Thanks again.

Many acetate collectors (including myself) are always very interested in finding outtakes and alternate versions of known soul classics - did you record any other takes of 'Black-Eyed Girl' or 'Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye' at the time?

I'm sure there are outtakes somewhere. The fellow to help you there would be Hershel Dwellingham. I think I found Hershel Dwellingham on the internet the other day, but I didn't have time to follow up on them, which I will do in the next few days.

Are there any other Billy Thompson 45s out there which collectors should look out for?

Only what is here.

What are you doing these days?

I'm doing well. These days I'm living six months in Spain and six months in the US and I love it! I  work mostly in Europe, Spain, Germany and England. I suppose I travel under the radar because I do mostly private functions. Seems my live performances have always been received better than my recordings. Hopefully I can change that. I've written a lot of songs over the years and right now I am just about finished with a project that I've been putting together the last couple of years. This is my first full year back singing since 2005. I took a couple of years off (doctor's suggestion) because I had developed a couple of nodules on my vocal chords; rest it or do that laser thing. I rested my voice.  

Now I'm back and I'm feeling great!

E Billy Thompson moved to Spain in early 1993. He joined the Drifters in late 1993. He still performs with the Drifters and also as a solo artist throughout Europe. E Billy Thompson plans to return to the US as a solo artist in his off seasons. Check him out! You'll be glad you did.

© Rob Jones 2008