Ron Thompson born 5 July, 1953

Ron Thompson (July 5, 1953 – February 15, 2020) was an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Thompson released nine albums after 1983 on labels including Blind Pig. He worked with Little Joe Blue, John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton. 

Thompson was born in Oakland, California, United States, and had mastered basic guitar and slide guitar techniques by his mid-teens. He was educated at Newark High School, in Newark, California. In the early 1970s, Thompson played backing to Little Joe Blue, and worked solo and as a sideman in San Francisco Bay Area clubs. A few recordings have been released around the world as being performed by the late blues guitarist Magic Sam. Magic Sam - Magic Blues Genius & Magic Sam - Genius (The Final Sessions).They are in fact a batch of recordings made in the 70’s by an uncredited Ron Thompson. These recordings were later released under Thompson’s name on a CD titled Just Pickin’. 

He joined John Lee Hooker's backing band in 1975 and stayed with him for three years. In 1980, Thompson formed his own group, the Resistors, and secured a recording contract with Takoma Records. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1978, 1979 and 1983. Also in 1983, he released his debut album, Treat Her Like Gold. Thompson also found employment where he separately worked with Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton. Thompson's second album Resister Twister was released in 1987 and was nominated for a Grammy Award, plus 1990's Just Like a Devil, was taken from his work on Mark Naftalin's Blue Monday Party radio show. Thompson commented on his preferred style, "blues is like a medicine, or religion to me, it'll cleanse your soul". Meanwhile, Mick Fleetwood stated, "Ron Thompson is my favorite guitarist". 

                     Here's "The Muddy Waters" from above single

                                    

Thompson's 2007 album, Resonator was completely acoustic. Ron recorded on guitar, mandolin, piano, and vocals—and then mixed it all together for an unbelievable, quadruple threat, all-Ron Thompson recording. Most of the material is comprised of original Ron Thompson compositions. Thompson infused his music with a modern touch while drawing on the deep Blues heritage, and created a distinctive and alluring sound. Every note he played demonstrated his command of the guitar, and he skillfully combined complex melodies with potent riffs. 

Thompson's music, which captured the pleasures and challenges of daily living, was a monument to the blues' tenacity and passion. His songs invited listeners to connect with their own emotions as he painted vivid depictions of love, loss, and redemption. Whether Thompson was playing the guitar or singing a heartfelt ballad, his love of the blues was evident in every performance. Thompson released a stunning single titled "The Muddy Waters / Sugar Momma" in 2016 in which emphasizes Thompson's superb musicianship and commitment to keeping the Blues alive. 

Thompson died in Hayward, California on February 15, 2020, at the age of 66, due to complications from diabetes.

He was a tremendous force to be reckoned with in the world of blues music and is among the greats of modern blues thanks to his dynamic sound and moving lyrics, which won him a devoted following. With each successive album, Thompson pushed the genre's boundaries farther and established himself as a pioneer in the blues music industry. 

(Edited from Wikipedia & Viberate.com)