Farewell Danny Ray Thompson
Image: second right Danny Ray Thompson, far left Jon E. Edwards, far right yours truly Art Terry
Growing up in Black middle class LA can make you cynical. You have everything and you think you’ve seen everything.
The first band that I helped form was with Jon E. Edwards and Stew, and it quickly transformed from psych-soul into post-punk. Being the only Black punk-soul band in LA, we didn’t know where to turn or who to turn to. The white rock scene wasn’t ready for us and the Black R & B scene thought we were crazy.
Naturally you ask yourself, do you know anyone in the music industry who might help you? Jon mentioned that his cousin played sax back east. But we were all dismissive of the notion of someone still playing jazz. We had stopped playing jazz when we were 17. And the fact that he was playing with someone who was from outer space made us think he had lost his mind in some back-to-Africa shit.
Sun Ra wasn’t as well known in those days, and it took us a few years to begin to truly open our ears to his avant-garde message. Sun Ra’s freaked-out music helped lead us back to real Black music, not the music-industry clichéd commercialised R & B disco and smooth jazz that we had run from.
Jon E.’s cousin Danny Ray Thompson was the quintessential Sun Ra disciple. He was the main organiser of the Arkestra at the height of their powers, and was close to Sonny in a way that few were.
Danny would come through town and always be patient and gracious with us. He knew we weren’t ready and didn’t understand yet. But he seemed to see something in us, and he and the Arkestra encouraged us to hang out.
Danny and I would reconnect through the years and stay buddies.
Now decades later I have a radio show which is largely based on the principles Sun Ra personified. But the funny thing is I never thought of sitting down and interviewing Danny myself. He always seemed so available, that I just took for granted we’d get around to it sometime.
But now he has passed, and a lot of musical history will pass away with him and forever remain a mystery.
