| Butch Thompson | |
| Birth Name: | Richard Enos Thompson |
| Birth Date: | 28 November 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz, ragtime, stride |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Piano, clarinet |
| Years Active: | 1962–2021 |
| Associated Acts: | Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band, New Jazz Wizards, A Prairie Home Companion |
Richard Enos "Butch" Thompson (November 28, 1943 – August 14, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and clarinetist best known for his ragtime and stride performances.
Thompson was born in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, began playing piano at the early age of three, and began taking lessons at age six. At Stillwater Area High School, he played clarinet in the band. In 1962 he joined the Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band in Minneapolis and remained with the band for twenty years. From 1974–1986, he was a regular and the original pianist on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion.[1] [2] Since the 1960s, he led the Butch Thompson Trio.[3]
In the 1970s, Thompson's recordings gained popularity in Europe. He toured the continent extensively in the 1970s and 1980s, both as a solo artist and as a band leader or member. He wrote for jazz publications and produced a radio show, Jazz Originals, for KBEM-FM in Minneapolis.
Thompson died on August 14, 2022, at the age of 78.[4]