Charles Phillip Thompson, known as Sir Charles Thompson, was born on March 21, 1918, in Springfield, Ohio. He began playing piano as a teenager and by 12 was performing with Bennie Moten's band. His breakthrough came when Count Basie invited him to perform, earning him the nickname "Sir Charles Thompson" from Lester Young. Thompson collaborated with notable jazz figures such as Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, and J. C. Heard in the 1940s and 1950s. He released his first singles "The Street Beat / 20th Century Blues" and "If I Had You / Takin’ Off" in 1951. Thompson composed the jazz standard "Robbins' Nest", released on his album Robbins' Nest: Live at the Jazz Showcase in 2000. He continued to perform into the 2000s, living in Japan with his wife Makiko until his death on June 16, 2016, at the age of 98.
