Carroll Thompson

Born in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, into a Jamaican-origin family, Carroll Thompson emerged in the early 1980s on the British lovers rock scene, at the crossroads of romantic reggae, soul and a soft pop carried by a supple, intimate voice. Trained in classical piano and having sung in school and church choirs, Carroll Thompson began as a studio backing vocalist before launching her solo career with the singles "I’m So Sorry" and "Simply in Love", then with the album Hopelessly in Love in 1981, which became a lasting touchstone of English lovers rock. The rest of her career saw her alternating between personal projects, duets, and session work, notably with Sugar Minott and Trevor Walters, while broadening her repertoire. In 1984, Carroll Thompson joined Floy Joy, a Sheffield-based outfit rooted in the British jazz-funk and soul scene, with whom she recorded several tracks before returning to her own projects. In the 1990s she appeared alongside Courtney Pine, Aswad, and Movement 98, and then released The Other Side of Love in 1993, in collaboration with Mad Professor, where her singing sits over a more contemporary reggae production. Carroll Thompson has also developed a steady career as a backing vocalist and studio musician, while continuing a discography that includes notably Carroll Thompson (1983), Full Circle (1995), Songbird (1996), Collectively (1998), Flying (2008), and Feels So Good (2011).