Songwriters seem to flourish on the fertile Oklahoma plains. Woody Guthrie, Roger Miller, Leon Russell, J.J. Cale and Jimmy Webb.
Add Verlon Thompson to that list.
Thirty years as a professional songwriter and traveling troubadour serve as credentials. As a solo performer, and as the trusted sidekick of Texas Americana songwriting icon Guy Clark, Verlon has viewed the world from stages everywhere from Barcelona to Binger (his hometown in Oklahoma).
Along the way Verlon Thompson compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood and many more.
Equally important in his songwriting and live performances, Verlon's guitar work cannot go unnoticed. His guitar can be heard on recordings by Restless Heart, Pam Tillis, and many more, including, and especially Guy Clark.
Verlon has co-produced Guy Clark's Grammy nominated cd "Cold Dog Soup" as well as "The Dark", "Workbench Songs" and "Somedays the Song Writes You".
As the in-house musician for Genuine Human Productions (genuinehuman.com) Thompson scores themes and background music for documentaries and special film projects.
Verlon Thompson is currently on the road. Or in the studio. Or writing in his bunkhouse on the river in Tennessee...
....but never far from the fertile plains of Oklahoma.
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Verlon has had songs recorded by..
Balladeers: Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, Barbara Mandrell.
Bluegrassers: Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush.
Country Girls: Pam Tillis, Trisha Yearwood, Suzy Bogguss.
Country Boys: Dierks Bentley, Randy Travis, Joe Diffie,Tracy Byrd, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Folk Troubadours: Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Darrell Scott.
(see discography below)
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The Whole Story.......
My great grandfather, Sam Hunt, arrived in the great Oklahoma Landrush to make a claim and homestead on the banks of Willow Creek in Caddo County. He always loved the song "Red River Valley." He gave me an old guitar and asked if I would learn that tune for him. Too small to reach around the neck, I would lay the guitar flat on my lap and play the melody with my left thumb fretting the strings.
INSPIRATION
I picked on Mom’s mandolin, Uncle Kenneth’s guitar, Aunt Bessie’s piano, Cousin Elmer Dee’s lap steel and any other instrument I could get my hands on. Mom showed me everything she knew and those basics are still the core of my playing style. Early songwriting inspiration came from Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens and Roger Miller.
As a teenager, I wrote songs about Mama and prison and introspective pieces like, "What Would This World Ever Come To If There Were No Love Anywhere", my longest title to date.
I was an occasional guest member of a family band, The Little Okies. The drummer was an eight year old girl. Her two sisters played guitar and bass and the brother played steel guitar. I joined them on stage to open the show for Mel Tillis before a packed Ardmore Civic Auditorium, and brought the house down.
That might be the night that showbiz invaded my body and soul.
EDUCATION
After high school, I went on an international tour, courtesy of Uncle Sam, where I continued my musical studies. I played many nights on the veranda with my Greek landlord who played the bouzouki. I tried to keep up with the flamenco players in Spain.
I learned a thing or two one night in South Florida, when I was joined onstage by Gatemouth Brown. I made the CBS Evening News in 1975 with a song I wrote about a hardass motorcycle cop, rumored to have ticketed a speeding train.
After my military service I returned to Oklahoma, where I received a letter from some friends. They invited me to visit them and check out the ski towns. They thought I could make a killing performing in the lodges for all the rich tourists.
A week later, those friends were the proud owner of a pet musician, unemployed and living in their basement.
ROCK AND ROLL
I did find gigs in the ski towns. With the few dollars I saved and a loan from Dad, I rented a studio, rented and played all the instruments, and recorded an album. Having never been in a studio before, the tracks were technically rough, but all heart. Most significant was the new experience of watching self-penned words and music come to life.
A band formed around me, and we quickly learned that we could eat more regularly if we played songs that people knew. For four years I kept writing and trying to sneak in an "original" here and there, until finally, I heard about something called a "staff writer".
HONKY TONK DIPLOMA
A former bandmate called from Nashville. He thought I could make a killing writing songs for other people. I might even get an advance, maybe $150 a week, just to sit in a room and make stuff up. A few months later I became a Nashville resident and staff writer for Lorretta Lynn’s publishing company, Coal Miners Music. For two years, I was an excellent tax write off for Mrs. Lynn. Then, thanks to Jimmy Gilmer of the Fireballs and "Sugar Shack" fame and veteran songman Wayland Holyfield, I signed with CBS Songs, which later became EMI Music, one of the worlds largest publishing houses.
That partnership continued for 13 years. Creative freedom and access to the EMI in-house studio inspired a catalog of songs that would be recorded by 1980’s artists like Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, Keith Whitley, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others.
Good fortune continued through the 90’s with cuts by Joe Diffie, Billy Dean, Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis, Trisha Yearwood, Beth Nielson Chapman and more.
Ten of those songs would become athe 1990 Capitol Records release VERLON THOMPSON.
Produced by Blake Chancey now of Dixie Chicks fame, the project was lauded by critics and ignored by radio. My lifelong dream of a music career hadn’t included accountants, publicists and self inflated radio consultants. Disillusioned and creatively drained, I was pointed towards Oklahoma when…..
DETOUR
Enter Guy Clark……Texas singer/songwriter and driver of a rusted yellow International Scout.
Clark, equally unimpressed by his major label experience was searching for new ground as well. I was enlisted to help out on guitar and vocals and a few months later, Guy emerged from the tiny basement studio with his first record in a dozen years. It was called "Old Friends." And we were.
I had never been a sideman, but Guy convinced me to hit the road with him in support of the new record.
I found a new musical world in the theaters, small clubs and folk festivals. "Poetic listeners" I once called them; a little more in tune with the fine art of lyric and melody.
We were two guitars and two voices……and this troubadour style suited me just fine.
AND NOW
Today my adventures with Guy continue. Apart from some time out for a couple of projects with Suzi Ragsdale, that Texan and this Okie have been at it for over a decade. I’ve been a part of every Guy Clark record since "Old Friends" and was flattered to gain producer status on "Cold Dog Soup", "The Dark", "Workbench Songs" and "Somedays The Song Writes You". Maestro Clark’s influence is undeniable in my performing style, songwriting, and guitar technique. I also built my first Flamenco guitar under Maestro Clarks supervision.
I do as many solo performances as schedules will allow. I also continue to write and have recently had my songs interpreted by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Sam Bush, The Del McCoury Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Darrell Scott and Guy Clark.
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DISCOGRAPHY
SONG / ARTIST / LABEL
BAD ANGEL/DIERKS BENTLEY/CAPITOL
CROSS MY BROKEN HEART/ SUZY BOGGUSS /CAPITOL
THE FIRST STEP /TRACY BYRD /MCA
HE FEELS GUILTY /BOBBIE CRYNER /EPIC
MEN’LL BE BOYS /BILLY DEAN /LIBERTY
MOONSHADOW ROAD T. GRAHAM BROWN/ CAPITOL
SAVE THIS ONE FOR ME RICK TREVINO/ COLUMBIA
QUIT WHILE I’M BEHIND/ THE MCCARTER SISTERS /WARNER BROS.
UP AND GONE/ THE MCCARTER SISTERS /WARNER BROS.
YOU SAY YOU WILL /TRISHA YEARWOOD/
MCA
ANYTHING GOES/ LARI WHITE RCA – CASSETTE ONLY
AT HOME ON THE RANGE/ HONKY TONK HITS VOL. 2/ LIBERTY
AT HOME ON THE RANGE /SUZY BOGGUSS /LIBERTY
BAD ANGEL VERLON THOMPSONSUZI RAGSDALE/ VNS
THE BLUES AINT NEWS TO ME/ TY ENGLAND /RCA
THE BLUES IN BLACK AND WHITE/ RANDY TRAVIS /WARNER BROS.
BOATS TO BUILD /GUY CLARK/ ASYLUM
BUT NOT FOR LOVE /VERLON THOMPSONSUZI RAGSDALE/
VNS
CARELESS HEART /SHELLY WEST /WARNER BROS.
DANCING TO THE BEAT OF A BROKEN HEART /NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND/ WARNER BROS
DANGEROUSLY LONELY /JOHNNY LEE /CURB
THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING/ VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
FROM HIM TO HERE LINDA DAVIS LIBERTY/CAPITOL
GOOD BROWN GRAVY JOE DIFFIE EPIC
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN /BILLY DEAN /CAPITOL
HANDS/ GUY CLARK/ SUGAR HILL
HAVE A NICE REST OF YOUR LIFE /GREAT DIVORCE SONGS /WARNER BROS
HAVE A NICE REST OF YOUR LIFE/ RANDY TRAVIS /WARNER BROS
HERE I GO/ VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
HOW DID WE GET HERE FROM THERE/ VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
I KNOW TOO MUCH /LISA BROKOP /CAPITOL
I KNOW WHO DROVE HER THERE /LARRY BOONE/ POLYGRAM
I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I FEEL IT/ T. GRAHAM BROWN /CAPITOL
I’M EXPECTING MIRACLES/ T. GRAHAM BROWN /CAPITOL
IF I WERE YOU /THE SHOOTERS/ RCA
IF I WERE YOU /KENNY ROGERS/ WARNER BROS
IF I’M NOT ALREADY CRAZY/ LARI WHITE /RCA
IF I WERE YOU/ OAK RIDGE BOYS /RCA
INDIAN HEAD PENNY /BILLY DEAN/ LIBERTY
INDIAN HEAD PENNY /JOHN CONLEY
INDIAN HEAD PENNY /GUY CLARK/
SUGAR HILL
IT’S LONESOME EVERYWHERE /TY ENGLAND/ RCA
JUST A KISS /VERLON THOMPSON
SUZI RAGSDALE /VNS
LESS OF THE SAME /VERLON THOMPSON
SUZI RAGSDALE/
VNS
LIKE THERES NO TOMORROW/ VERLON THOMPSON /VNS
LONG COLD WINTER/ VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
LOVE HAPPENS/ LINDA DAVIS/ LIBERTY
LOVE WON’T LEAVE US ALONE/ VERLON THOMPSON
SUZI RAGSDALE /VNS
LUCKY DOG /KEITH WHITLEY /RCA
LUCKY DOG/ MARK COLLIE/ MCA
LUCKY DOG /VERLON THOMPSON/ VNS
MAKES YOU WANNA SLOW DOWN /VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
MORE THAN TRACKS /VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
NOBODY BUT YOU /VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
RFD 30529 T./ GRAHAM BROWN /CAPITOL
ME LA GUARDAN PARA MI SAVE THIS ONE FOR ME/ RICK TREVINO/ COLUMBIA
SHE’S THE ONE /VERLON THOMPSON /CAPITOL
SLOW GOODBYE /VERLON THOMPSON/ CAPITOL
SMALL TOWNS ARE SMALLER FOR GIRLS/ HOLLY DUNN /WARNER BROS
SOMETHING UP MY SLEEVE /SUZY BOGGUSS/ LIBERTY
THE TROUBLE WITH TEXAS/ VERLON THOMPSON/ VNS
TROUBLEMAKER/ VERLON THOMPSON
SUZI RAGSDALE/ VNS
WILD HORSES /SUZY BOGGUSS /CAPITOL
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT/ BARBARA MANDRELL/ MCA
YOU SAY YOU WILL /ALECIA ELLIOTT /WIDGET
YOU DON’T HAVE THE HEART/ CHARLEY MCCLAIN/ MCA
YOU SAY YOU WILL /HOLLY DUNN/ WARNER BROS
YOU SAY YOU WILL/ BETH NEILSON CHAPMAN /WARNER BROS
YOU SAY YOU WILL /VERLON THOMPSON
SUZI RAGSDALE /VNS
I KNOW TOO MUCH /ANNE MURRAY /CAPITOL
‘OL JOE CLARK AKA BANJOE CLARK/ SAM BUSH/ SUGAR HILL
BANJOE CLARK /DARRELL SCOTT/ SUGAR HILL
SURE THING/ JEFF WOOD
TROUBLEMAKER/ MILA MASON /ATLANTIC
DON’T TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY FROM ME /RANDY TRAVIS/ WARNER BROS
IT AIN’T OVER TIL ITS OVER/ RAY STEVENS/ MCA
A LITTLE OF BOTH /GUY CLARK /SUGAR HILL
MEN’LL BE BOYS /GUY CLARK /SUGAR HILL
BUNKHOUSE BLUES/ GUY CLARK /SUGAR HILL
A MILLION MILES AWAY /JENNY SIMPSON/ MERCURY
AFTER HOURS /PAM TILLIS /ARISTA
A WHISPER AND A SCREAM /PAM TILLIS/ ARISTA
I WILL COME BACK AGAIN/ MATT KING /ATLANTIC
BACKSLIDERS BLUES/ THE THE DEL MCCOURY BAND /SKAGGS FAMILY
LIFE’S JUST TOO SHORT/ JOY LYNN WHITE /LITTLE DOG/
MERCURY
BOATS TO BUILD /JERRY JEFF WALKER
BOATS TO BUILD/ GOVE SCRIVENOR/ ROUNDER
BOATS TO BUILD /JIMMY BUFFETT w/ ALAN JACKSON /RCA
WHEN LOVE WAS ENOUGH /TAMMY COCHRAN SONY
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN /THE DEL MCCOURY BAND
ASHEVILLE TURNAROUND/THE DEL MCCOURY BAND/
MCCOURY BAND MUSIC/SUGAR HILL
STRINGBEAN AND ESTELLE/SAM BUSH/SUGAR HILL
THE GUITAR/GUY CLARK/DUALTONE
MAYBE I CAN PAINT OVER THAT/GUY CLARK/SUGAR HILL
