More than 4 decades into his career, Richard Thompson had an amazing 2010, capped off by the year-end news that he was named to the 2011 Honour's List as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). "The OBE will further restore Richard Thompson's status at the top table of British musical heroes as a folk revolutionary, one of the world's greatest guitarists, a must-see performer and one of the finest songwriters the country has ever produced" writes Nic Flides of The Spectator.
In February of 2010, Thompson took to the road with his band, making the unusual move of recording an album of all-new material in front of live audiences on a US West Coast swing. The resulting work, Dream Attic, was released in August to critical acclaim, and is nominated for a Grammy®.
In June, Thompson served as 2010 artistic director of London's prestigious Meltdown Festival, during which he showcased an entire range of performers from the worlds of classical to punk to comedy to folk. His own festival performances
included 1000 Years of Popular Music, the UK debut of Cabaret of Souls, a night of guitar greats (James Burton, Nokie Edwards, Dennis Coffey, and more), Loud & Rich (with Loudon Wainwright III), and a starry tribute to the late Kate McGarrigle.
After spending the fall on a US band tour, Thompson returned to Los Angeles in November to perform Cabaret of Souls at UCLA's Royce Hall, before departing for a European tour of Nutmeg and Ginger, a performance of songs from Shakespeare's London in collaboration with the Musicians of the Globe.
He was named 2010 recipient of the MOJO Les Paul Award for guitar players, and has been nominated for a Musician of the Year statue at the upcoming BBC Folk Awards.
Thompson has amassed an astounding body of work containing artfully shaped material that seamlessly and expressively integrates traditional and contemporary modes. He is among the most distinctive of guitar virtuosos, capable of breathtaking drama and sublime delicacy, prompting Rolling Stone to place him in the top 20 of their 100 Greatest Guitarists list, hailing him as "a perennial dark-horse contender for the title of greatest living rock guitarist".
Thompson is currently on tour for 2011, with dates including New York's Carnegie Hall, London's Royal Festival Hall, and Billboard Live in Tokyo. A full bio, discography, and tour schedule is available at richardthompson-music.com.
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