Activist, musician, community leader, labor leader, drum and bugle corps impresario, family man: Slayton Thompson has done it all. Born in Rockford, Illinois to a family rooted in a musical tradition, Slayton migrated to the Cedar Rapids area after serving in the Army where, among other things, he served the country with his exceptional ability on the drums. His Dad was a jazz pianist, several of his brothers and sisters are musicians, and his son is a renowned jazz percussionist who started his career on the Johnny Carson show.
Slayton honed his chops as a drummer, from drum corps and school bands in his youth and through his career in U.S. Army deployment in Germany with jazz groups. After doing jazz clubs in Rockford, Illinois, Slayton toured the country with Clayton Landers and with Stan Gun show. Here in Cedar Rapids he founded and nurtured Emerald Knights Drum and Bugle Corps which he took to Washington DC for inaugural parades. He has also been President of the local SEIU union, a community liaison officer for the Cedar Rapids Community School District, and a member of County, State, and Democrat Party Central Committee. Slayton takes his faith seriously everyday in every way. He is active in his faith community and he actively scatters Goodness!
He has more energy than any three ordinary drummers and he uses this energy for good purposes. He knows everyone and is respected across the community. Constantly reinventing himself, Slayton took up the jazz chromatic harmonica ten years back and has sat in with Dick Watson, Eddie Piccard, Nick George ,as well as , solo on the jazz harp. He is one of a kind, a one man show who lights up the room with music…
Looking for good music and a good time? Hire Mr. Slayton Thompson.