Charles Thompson
Charles Phillip Thompson, known as Sir Charles Thompson, was born on March 21,
1918, in Springfield, Ohio. He began playing piano as a teenager and by 12 was
performing with Bennie Moten's band. His breakthrough came when Count Basie
invited him to perform, earning him the nickname "Sir Charles Thompson" from
Lester Young. Thompson collaborated with notable jazz figures such as Charlie
Parker, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, and J. C. Heard in the 1940s and 1950s. He
released his first singles "The Street Beat / 20th Century Blues" and "If I Had
You / Takin’ Off" in 1951. Thompson co...
