For the [a=Tower of Power] / Santana keyboard player, please use [a=Chester Thompson (2)] (a.k.a Chester D. Thompson).

Thompson has toured and recorded since the 1970s with a number of different artists including O'Donel Levy (1971–1973), Frank Zappa / The Mothers (1973–1975), Weather Report (1975–1976), Genesis (1976–1992, 2007 as tour drummer), Steve Hackett (1978, 1995), Freddie Hubbard (1979), Ahmad Jamal (1980), Phil Collins (1982/83, 1985, 1990, 1999, 2004/05, 2010 as tour drummer), Santana (1984), Bee Gees (1989), Ron Kenoly (1992–1995), Era (1996), John Fogerty (1997), Kirk Whalum (1997), and Michael McDonald (2000), and Taj Mahal & [a=Keb Mo] (2017) among many others. While still busy recording and performing, he also gives drum lessons at Belmont University (Nashville, TN, USA), along with doing clinics and directing a jazz ensemble. He has lived in Los Angeles (CA, USA) and London (UK), but now is living in Nashville (TN, USA).