Verlon Thompson is the “secret” songwriter behind many of country and folk music’s greatest hits in the late 1980s through the early 2000s. And it’s a shame that more people don’t know his name. Thompson is often associated with musician Guy Clark, as he worked with the country icon until his death in 2016 as a producer, guitarist, and co-writer of some of Clark’s songs. But Thompson’s legacy goes far beyond a partnership with just one famous musician. In fact, Thompson wrote many of the biggest country songs of the 1990s. He’s got credits on songs for Jimmy Buffett, Randy Travis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Trisha Yearwood, and many more. And Verlon Thompson was born on this very day, January 5, in 1954. Let’s take a look at one stellar career, shall we?
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The Legacy of Verlon Thompson
Verlon Thompson was born in Binger, Oklahoma, on January 5, 1954. A guitar, vocal, and songwriting talent in genres like country, Americana, and folk music, Thompson’s first major credit of his career was on Restless Heart’s debut self-titled country album in 1985. From there, he enjoyed moderate success in the 1980s. During that time, he composed music for the likes of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Hold On, 1987), Randy Travis (Old 8×10 from 1988 and No Holdin’ Back in 1989), and Suzy Bogguss (Somewhere Between, 1989).
The 1990s were when Thompson truly shone. His credits during that era are pretty long-winded. Starting in 1992, Thompson began to work heavily with Guy Clark. That partnership started with the 1992 album Boats To Build, in which Thompson provides one of the guitar tracks and backing vocals. In total, Thompson would be featured on nine of Guy Clark’s albums. He would be nominated for a Grammy as co-producer of the 2009 song “The Guitar”, though he also co-wrote the song on Somedays The Song Writes You.
Throughout the rest of the 1990s, Thompson composed music for the likes of Billy Dean, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, and more. He also released a self-titled solo recording for Capitol Nashville in 1990. Thompson continued to write music well through the 2010s, even. He composed Jimmy Buffett’s 2004 song “Boats To Build” with Guy Clark. Most recently, he composed Dierks Bentley’s “Bad Angel” from 2010 with Suzi Ragsdale.
It seems like Thompson has slowed down in recent years. But his work in country and Americana is still being enjoyed by fans, young and old, today.
Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images
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