DAYTON, OH, December 02, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present James E. Thompson with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Thompson celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Celebrated for a long and successful career as a musician, Mr. Thompson was first recognized for his talents by his mother when he was just three years old. After briefly studying at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, he learned to read music fluently. Mr. Thompson subsequently learned to master several instruments and had the good fortune to play for several significant figures during his lifetime, including Presidents Harry Truman, Roosevelt, and Jimmy Carter, Coretta Scott King, Queen Elizabeth II and the governors of Ohio and Indiana.
Considered a musical genius, Mr. Thompson followed in the wake of a family tradition, and began learning the piano, pipe organ and guitar at a very young age. By the time he was a teenager, he had taken up the mandolin. A pioneer in his field, Mr. Thompson made great strides as one of the first African American musicians to perform publicly at area hotels, theaters and country clubs in the area of Miami Valley, Ohio. Despite encountering stiff resistance and the travails of segregation at these venues, he was gratified to serve as a trailblazer. During the 1950s, Mr. Thompson also had the opportunity to play on WHIO-TV.
Mr. Thompson continues to play locally on occasion for Urban League fundraising events. He has also played piano and organ at three local churches, including College Hill Community Church. Adjacent to his career in music, Mr. Thompson enjoyed a tenured career at Hal Gilliam Ford in New Carlisle for approximately four decades.
To support his incredible musical career, Mr. Thompson is a life member of the American Musicians Union. Recently recognized in 2019, he was honored when a major network television station came to his home to interview him about his life and career. It was his 100th birthday.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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