Lee Thompson Bio

Singer/Songwriter Lee was born in Durban, South Africa. After graduating from Durban High School in 1990 he studied jazz guitar at the Natal Technikon and had vocal training with Miriam Backhouse. In 1991 he joined rock band Saint Legend. The band enjoyed three relatively successful years gigging up and down their home country. They supported international rock bands Indecent Obsession and Foreigner and received a fair amount of radio play as well as appearing on local television. After recording their debut album and on the eve of filming their first music video the band split.

Lee emigrated to the UK a short time after and busied himself playing in cover bands until he hooked up with original band Minifish who decided to take him on as their lead singer. The band managed to score a full page article in the Melody Maker and played gigs at the Rock Garden, Underworld, the Mean Fiddler, and The Orange to name a few before Lee was poached by a German record producer.

Silbersack Recordings based in Halle, Saale signed Lee to a solo deal towards the end of the nineties. The album was produced and recorded with local musicians but was never released due to the company folding.

Since then Lee has continued playing live as the lead singer with function band The GnT Experiment who appeared in the BBC production "The Line of Beauty" which aired in 2006. Lee has never strayed far from his passion for songwriting however and performs regular solo gigs throughout Kent.

Rich Mr Sax records spotted Lee in the summer of 2006 and having made an instant and significant impression on owner and chief producer Mark Duggan, he was immediately signed and bought in to record a 4 track EP and album. The video for the single "The Best in Me" was filmed in March 2007.


GIG REVIEW (Bullet Bar)

Lee Thompson was down to headline the show with his band, but instead performed a solo acoustic set as the penultimate performer. This South African singer/songwriter is certainly a force to be reckoned with in his field, and an artist that I am convinced will be big very soon with the right exposure. He is a brilliant singer and guitarist with clear diction that emphasises the very accessible lyrics of his songs. I have to say that there was not a bad one among them, and his encore performing the Otis Redding/Black Crowes classic "Hard to Handle" was awesome. Check this guy out, with or without his band. - Peter Coulston Backstage Pass

EP REVIEW:

If "The Best In Me" is a preview, I can't wait for the main feature. The four tracks you get here are endearingly simple pieces of songwriting that you can't help but wish lasted a bit longer.

I couldn't help but be reminded of David Gray or even a more intelligible Dave Matthews the first time I listened to this EP's understated songwriting, reverb-soaked acoustic guitars, and catchy lead-lines and progressions. There's nothing overly flashy here, and that's a good thing. It's just good songwriting, strong vocals, and warm acoustic sound.

My one complaint would be that this sounds like one of those albums that you put on and hear the artist really say something to you, but the EP format leaves you wishing there was more. And let's face it - if Thompson's biggest problem is that you can't get enough of his music, he'll have quite a career ahead of him. - Laney Tarnius Music Inc.