Verlon Thompson
Most people who have seen Guy Clark since the late '80s have also seen Verlon Thompson. Aside from being Clark's friend, right-hand man, co-writer and co-producer, Thompson is also a prolific flatpicker and narrative songwriter. The list of big-name artists who have cut his songs includes Jimmy Buffett (duet with Alan Jackson), Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Pam Tillis, Del McCoury, Trisha Yearwood and Jerry Jeff Walker.
But Thompson's force becomes most apparent when you hear him perform the songs he penned. From the smoking picking on "Joe Walker's Mare" and "Darwettia's Mandolin" to storytelling gems such as "Indian Head Penny" and "He Left the Road" to hillbilly toe-tappers such as "Backsliders Blues" and "Asheville Turnaround," Thompson ranks as perhaps the most well-rounded yet overlooked instrumentalist and songwriter beneath the large Americana umbrella. Catch him out front, where he belongs. —Dan Schram
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I was privileged to attend Verlon's performance last evening at Natalie's in Worthington, Ohio. Just want to say I have been to many "concerts" and other musical events, but have never enjoyed any as much as last night. The mix of stories and song was mesmerizing. Two and a half hours without a break, and you could have heard a pin drop in the room! It was an unforgettable experience presented by a complete master of his craft.
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By Jack Bernhardt — Correspondent,
To the everyday country music fan, Verlon Thompson is not a household name.
But within the music community of Nashville, Thompson is a songwriter and guitarist almost without peer.
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Thompson Shares Journey to Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Through Song and Stories
By Cory Cart
Silence fell over the Muskogee Civic Center as Verlon Thompson sauntered onto the stage on February 17. It is the stage where Merle Haggard, an influence of Verlon’s, played one of his earliest live performances of “Okie from Muskogee.”
The stage was littered with instruments from others who would later be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame that evening. Verlon almost looked out of place, standing in the middle of what might be the remains of a musical apocalypse. After all, he was the only performer that night to take the stage without backup singers or musicians.
Raising his eyes to meet those seated before him throughout the auditorium, I could not help but think this must be what Verlon looked like when he performed his first original song at a talent show in the third grade at Lookeba-Sickles. Except for that performance, he had a harmonica strapped on like Bob Dylan.
Then, his slow, folksy voice filled the silence as he used his storytelling skills to narrate the journey that led to this night. If anyone has ever questioned Verlon’s storytelling ability, he settled that score once and for all. A master storyteller, Verlon regaled the audience with autobiographical stories, punctuating each with a related song. It was a vast departure from what other inductees had planned.
Throughout his set, Verlon’s face hinted that his mind and heart were connected differently than you might expect at one of his typical performances. However, how that might render this performance different was not known yet. Then, magic surged through his fingers as they danced with the strings and sped across the frets. After only a few notes, Verlon was obviously about to give the audience a gift no one else was prepared to share: his heart.
His first song brought to life his memory of his parents, Don and Darwettia Thompson, walking into his room at age six and giving him a portable record player. Next, he honored Darwettia and her influence on his music with “Darwettia’s Mandolin,” a song about her musical talents. Darwettia cheered him on from just a few rows back and wore expressions of pure joy and appreciation for what he had accomplished.
Next, Verlon explained that writing a song about his mom and not his dad would be wrong. Verlon told how Don inspired a well-known song he wrote titled “Caddo County.” Before starting the song, Verlon sometimes choked up as he talked about working in the peanut and cotton fields of Caddo County. He shared his memory of the day that Don stood in a cotton field and encouraged him to go off and take a shot at pursuing his dream, reminding Verlon that he always had a home to come back to if needed.
Now halfway through his set, Verlon paused and stared at his guitar as if looking at a sacred object. Not wanting to alter the intense feeling of warmth and love that had filled the auditorium, Verlon did what he does best. He deepened the musical journey he was leading us on by telling another story.
At some point in the past, Verlon played a few bars on a Bourgeois Guitar. Quickly falling in love with the handcrafted instrument, he wanted one of his own with a mahogany back and spruce front. One day, while watching his friend and songwriting partner Guy Clark carve a small wooden part for a guitar Clark was making, Verlon mentioned he wanted to find a Bourgeois.
“Guy just sat there carving away and said, ‘Bourgeois, hmmm, I think I have one of those under my bed,’” said Verlon. After some friendly banter, Guy convinced Verlon to check under his bed. On his hands and knees beside Guy Clark’s bed, Verlon pulled out the exact Bourgeois Guitar he had been searching for all that time.
Despite Verlon’s attempts to negotiate a purchase, Guy gave it to Verlon instead. Verlon’s eyes again looked down at the guitar he held and announced it was the Bourgeois guitar Guy had gifted him just before he kicked off into another song.
Armed with his Bourgeois guitar, cheered on by a large group of friends and family from Caddo County and doing what he does best: telling stories, Verlon proved something important that night. He proved that being vulnerable enough to write what you know is the only effective way to master songwriting. After all, only Verlon could write his songs because he was the only person who lived through them.
A while back, I had the opportunity to interview Verlon for an upcoming project. During our conversation, Verlon mentioned Woody Guthrie several times. Unlike others who inspired him, such as Roger Miller and Merle Haggard, Verlon seems to have the most in common with songwriters who chose the pursuit of art over commercial success. No doubt, following a path inspired by Clark had carved out for himself years before.
At some point over the years, we have all heard George Jones on the radio wondering who would fill the shoes of country music giants such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams, Sr. The lyrics question who will give up themselves to touch the hearts and souls of listeners.
As stated, Guy Clark was not one to always follow the most conventional path through life or the music industry. Undoubtedly, he would not want to leave the next chapter of his iconic legacy in the hands of just anyone. Instead, it seems Guy made his selection. That selection was Verlon Thompson, and the passing of that Bourgeois Guitar symbolized the passing of the torch.
Verlon gave more of himself than any other performer on that cold Muskogee night. As he played, it was evident that he was not on stage alone. Don was there, giving him one more pat on the back as Darwettia cheered from the audience. Moreover, there was little doubt that the spirit of Guy strummed right along in Verlon’s heart, watching as Verlon rose a step above his status as a master songwriter to fill Clark’s shoes and become a legend himself.
JULY 2011... WORKS
Verlon Thompson spins stories with a novelist’s eye (“Caddo County”) and a poet’s ingenuity (“The Get to You Waltz”). Thirty years on, the celebrated songwriter’s Works spotlights a troubadour in peak form (“El Toro,” “Adalee”). Thompson’s seamless new collection delivers Technicolor dreamscapes as wildly cinematic (“The Guitar”) as they are sharply crafted (“Gone But Not Forgotten”). Dress William Faulkner with faded jeans and a pawnshop six-string and the idea takes shape (“Oklahomagain,” “The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle”). “Verlon sparkles as a songwriter,” says legendary tunesmith Guy Clark. “He’s inspiring.” Not to mention singular.
Thompson’s lyrics strike pages with thunderclap potency. “The windows were open and the curtains were blowing/I’m sorry I ever looked in,” the Oklahoma native sings unsentimentally on “Dinnerbell.” “I jumped off the porch and I ran back down the hill/To where that little footbridge goes over the stream/I watched that folded up note and those fresh flowers float/Away with the rest of my dreams.” Few frame heartache as vividly. Fewer still follow with such wholly satisfying resolution (“Mike and Betty’s Daughter”).
Interpret the title Works as you wish. Contents suggest the literate implications. “Even the love songs are story-oriented,” Thompson explains. “I’ve found that I’ve started leaning more that way in my live show, which I’ve heard people refer to as a travelogue. I start with the ‘The Show We Call the Business,’ which is about coming to Nashville, and then I take them back to Oklahoma where it all started with ‘Oklahomagain,’ ‘Caddo County’ and ‘Dinnerbell’ and bring them back to the present day with these other songs. It’s my experiences. They’re not all personal experiences, but mostly.”
Thompson’s back story already has achieved significant heights. Consider the staggering number of bold names who have covered his material: Randy Travis (“Don’t Take Your Love Away from Me”), Kenny Rogers (“If I Were You”), Barbara Mandrell (“You Know What I’m Not Talking About”), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (“Dancing to the Beat of a Broken Heart”), Sam Bush (“The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle”) and Trisha Yearwood (“You Say You Will”) begin the list. Add Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson (“Boats to Build”), Suzy Bogguss (“Cross My Broken Heart”), Anne Murray (“I Know Too Much”), the Del McCoury Band (“Backslidin’ Blues”) and Keith Whitley (“Lucky Dog”) and we still barely scratch the surface.
Notably, country superstars Dierks Bentley, Jamey Johnson and Miranda Lambert’s trio version of Thompson’s “Bad Angel” earned a Grammy nomination last year (Best Country Collaboration with Vocals). “It’s such a fun track,” Bentley says.
A humble craftsman at core, the simple hat tip fulfills Thompson’s creative aim. “Having a song covered is what I live for, but it doesn’t have to be a star,” he says. “There’s a couple guys in Bloomington, Illinois, called Austin Found, and they do a lot of Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt and practically my whole catalog. It just flatters me to no end. I think about when I first started out and the songs that I chose and why I chose them. I think, man, these guys are putting me on that level. They’re spending time dissecting chords and learning lyrics. It’s the ultimate compliment.”
By the way, Clark’s important here: More than two decades ago, the Dean of Texas songwriting enlisted Thompson as his touring partner (as well as frequent co-writer). Eyes immediately opened. “Guy changed my musical life,” Thompson says. “I’d been struggling with my Capitol Records deal, and it was such a letdown. Guy said, ‘Man, come out on the road with me and I’ll show you. You don’t need a band and a big bus and payroll. All you need is some great songs. You go out there with great songs, there are people who will gather in these little rooms all over the world, and they’ll keep you going.”