Singer-Songwriter, Guitarist Richard Thompson

The British singer/guitarist spoke to Fresh Air in 1994 and '22 about about his formative years and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles.

The British singer/guitarist talks about his formative years, and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Thompson's new memoir is Beeswing.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson first became known for his work with Fairport Convention. He's since gone solo and is known for his dark songs which blend elements of British folk ballads and the blues. He's released a number of solo albums, Mirror Blue and Rumor and Sign. Rykodisc also compiled a retrospective of his work, Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson. Currently, Thompson is performing a show he calls A Thousand Years of Pop Music, which includes British and American folk songs, jazz and pop.