Dougie Thomson
Encyclopedia
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and raised in the Rutherglen
Rutherglen
Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
area of the city. He is best known as the former bass guitarist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Supertramp
Supertramp
Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
.
Career
Thomson's musical career began in August 1969, when he joined a local Glaswegian band "The Beings".In September 1971 he joined The Alan Bown Set
The Alan Bown Set
The Alan Bown Set later known as The Alan Bown! or just Alan Bown, were a British band of the 1960s and 1970s whose music evolved from jazz and blues through soul and rhythm and blues and ended up as psychedelia and progressive rock...
where he briefly worked with future Supertramp colleague, John Helliwell
John Helliwell
John Helliwell is an English musician and the saxophonist and occasional keyboardist and woodwind player for the rock band Supertramp...
. In February 1972, Thomson auditioned for Supertramp, and ended up playing several gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
as a temporary stand-in.
In 1973, Thomson permanently joined Supertramp and helped in the business management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
with Dave Margereson; he also persuaded John Helliwell to join the band.
Thomson played with Supertramp on all of their most famous albums: Crime of the Century, Crisis? What Crisis?
Crisis? What Crisis?
Crisis? What Crisis? is the fourth album by progressive rock band Supertramp, released in 1975. It was recorded in Los Angeles – Supertramp's first album to be recorded in the United States of America....
, Even in the Quietest Moments
Even in the Quietest Moments
Even in the Quietest Moments... is the fifth album by progressive rock band Supertramp, released in April 1977.The album was recorded mainly at Caribou Ranch Studios in Colorado with overdubs, vocals and mixing completed at The Record Plant in Los Angeles and was Supertramp's first album to use...
, Breakfast in America
Breakfast in America
Breakfast in America was seen as a departure for the band, with its pop sound deviating from the progressive rock stylings that defined their earlier work...
, Paris
Paris (Supertramp album)
Paris is a live album by progressive rock band Supertramp, released in 1980 . The album was recorded on Supertramp's Breakfast in America tour in November 1979 in Paris, France at the Pavillon de Paris, a venue which was once a slaughterhouse...
, ...Famous Last Words...
...Famous Last Words...
...Famous Last Words..., the eighth album by progressive rock band Supertramp, was released in October 1982.The album was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and was the last with guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Roger Hodgson, who left the group so that he could spend more time with...
, Brother Where You Bound
Brother Where You Bound
Brother Where You Bound is the ninth album by progressive rock band Supertramp, released in 1985 . It was their first album after original member Roger Hodgson left the band, leaving Richard Davies to handle the songwriting and singing on his own...
and Free as a Bird
Free as a Bird (album)
Allmusic's brief retrospective review dismissed the album as "a colorless and tuneless collection of prog rock meandering".-Track listing:All songs written by Rick Davies, except where noted.Lead vocals by Rick Davies, except where noted.#"It's Alright" – 5:01...
.
Supertramp initially disbanded in 1988, but have since done many reunion tours, including one planned for 2010. Thomson has refused to take part in these reunions, out of principle, due to Rick Davies
Rick Davies
Rick Davies is an English musician, best known as the founder and keyboardist of progressive rock band Supertramp...
breaking his original agreement with Roger Hodgson
Roger Hodgson
Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp....
that he wouldn't perform any of Hodgson's songs since his departure from the group.
He has since become a publisher in the music business, creating Trinity Publishing, and worked with a Chicago, Illinois management company.
He is also an avid sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, owning a number of yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s.
Thomson has four child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren, Laura, James, Kyle and Emma. James is a nationally ranked soccer referee, he is also an auto enthusiast holding full membership in an elite WV racing club. Kyle plays soccer for one of the most elite soccer clubs in the US, Sockers F.C. He is also working with JBM Management, managing
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
bands such as New Sense, Disturbed, The Fags and Dark New Day
Dark New Day
Dark New Day is an American hard rock supergroup formed in 2004 featuring Brett Hestla of Virgos Merlot, Troy McLawhorn of DoubleDrive, Clint Lowery of Sevendust, Corey Lowery of Stereomud and Stuck Mojo, and Will Hunt of Skrape...
.