For decades Chris Thompson has stayed ahead of rock’s evolving currents. He supplied the lead vocal for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band on their chart-topping 1976 cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light,” and his voice has since appeared on recordings by Elton John, the Doobie Brothers, Ozzy Osbourne, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, John Farnham, and Jefferson Starship, who included his composition “Blaze of Love” on a 1989 release. Across eight albums he also fronted Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Other artists who have recorded his material include the Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Heart, and Isaac Hayes. For the animated feature Fire and Ice he wrote seven songs and performed two of them.
Beyond Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Thompson launched the Los Angeles pop outfit Night in 1979 after departing the group. During his three-year stint he placed two singles in the Top 20—“Hot Summer Nights” and “If You Remember Me,” the latter serving as the theme for the film The Champ. He joined ex-Doobie Brothers vocalist and guitarist Patrick Simmons on the solo album Arcade, co-writing and singing the Top 20 track “So Wrong.” A sustained partnership with keyboardist and composer Alan Parsons began in 1993; the U.S. edition of Parsons’ 1995 album The Very Best Live contained a studio version of “You’re the Voice” showcasing Thompson’s vocals.
His ties to Queen run equally deep. Guitarist Brian May appeared on Thompson’s second solo album, Radio Waves, issued in 1985. At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held at Wembley Stadium, Thompson rehearsed both the core band and its guest performers, and the following year he joined Brian May’s solo tour of South America.
Born in England, Thompson spent his formative years in New Zealand, where he started the band Hilbery Walker. He moved back to the United Kingdom in 1974 and, two years later, became a member of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Although he exited in 1978, he rejoined briefly in 1982 to complete Somewhere in Afrika. Alongside drummer John Lingwood he later produced the live album and video Live in Budapest.
On his own, Thompson has scored several notable successes. In 1986 his composition “The Challenge” was chosen as the theme for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and reached number one in Germany. The 1991 release Beat of Love contained “The Joker,” adopted as the theme for the German television series Jolly Joker and a Top Ten hit there. He also recorded the theme for another German series, Florida Lady, in 1994. In 2000 he entered a worldwide songwriting agreement with London’s Notting Hill Music.
