10 Facts About Ed Thigpen

Edmund Leonard Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965.

Ed Thigpen performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956 to 1959.

Ed Thigpen's father, Ben Thigpen, was a drummer who played with Andy Kirk for sixteen years during the 1930s and 1940s.

Ed Thigpen first worked professionally in New York City with the Cootie Williams orchestra from 1951 to 1952 at the Savoy Ballroom.

Ed Thigpen then went on to tour with Ella Fitzgerald from 1967 to 1972.

In 1972, Ed Thigpen moved to Copenhagen, joining several other American jazz musicians who had settled in that city over the previous two decades.

Ed Thigpen played with a variety of other leading musicians of the time, such as Clark Terry, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Milt Jackson, and Monty Alexander.

Ed Thigpen died peacefully after a brief period in Hvidovre Hospital in Copenhagen on January 13,2010.

Ed Thigpen had been hospitalized for heart and lung problems and was suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Ed Thigpen was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2002.