Luke Thompson (3)

Bluegrass musician, bandleader, instrument builder and emcee. Born January 8, 1928 in Natalbany, Louisiana. Died June 12, 2019 in Zachary, Louisiana. Thompson played guitar, fiddle and banjo, but is best known for his mastery of the mandolin. He built mandolins played by Buck White and Mark O’Conner, among others. He led his own band, the Green Valley Cut-Ups (changed from the Green Valley Boys in 1968) from the late 1940s. Among the highlights of his career are: · Playing on the Louisiana Hayride-KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana, as well as at events such as the Louisiana Folk Arts Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the Piney Woods Opry · Recording with Byron Berline, Allen Shelton and Travis Stewart, having releases in his own Hammond record company · Organizing, with Bill Monroe, the first bluegrass festival in Louisiana, in 1968 · Co-founding the Old South Jamboree, Walker, Louisiana · Working as MC at Bill Monroe’s bluegrass festivals at Bean Blossom for 10 years · Building mandolins for Gibson Guitar Company, as well as doing warranty work for them · An appearance in the film of Tennessee Williams’ play Last of the Mobile Hot Shots · In 1963 replacing a sick Bill Monroe as front man with a line-up of the Blue Grass Boys, including Del McCoury (guitar), Bill Keith (banjo), and Enoch Sullivan (fiddle)