Mayo Joseph Thompson Jr., born February 26, 1944, in Houston, Texas, United States, is an American musician, visual artist, and record producer best known as the leader of the experimental rock band The Red Krayola. Thompson co-founded The Red Krayola in 1966, signing with International Artists and releasing albums including God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It in 1968. In 1970, Thompson released his debut solo studio album, Corky's Debt to His Father, on Texas Revolution. During the 1970s, Thompson formed Saddlesore and Rockin' Blue Diamonds, collaborated with art collective Art & Language, and relocated to England, co-producing releases for Rough Trade Records including The Monochrome Set's single “He's Frank” and Stiff Little Fingers' album Inflammable Material. Thompson joined Pere Ubu, performing on The Art of Walking in 1980 and Song of the Bailing Man in 1982, and produced records for The Chills, Felt, Shop Assistants, and Primal Scream. Thompson released Shotgun Wedding with Sven-Åke Johansson Quintett in 2009, exhibited visual art at Galerie Buchholz, and published the novels Art & Mystery in 2018 and After Math: Art, Mystery – Part II in 2023.
