Celebrating Lee’s 70th Birthday

Lee David Thompson

On October 11, 2021, Lee David Thompson will celebrate 70 years on this earth (at least this time around). I can’t write much about his first thirty-one years, but I am fairly knowledgeable about the past thirty-nine.

Rett and I first met Lee in 1982 at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. Unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly the first encounter I had with him, but he recollects how I lassoed him on January 21, 1983 (Rett’s 28th birthday) to retrieve Rett’s birthday cake for a surprise birthday party I was giving her at our Cincinnati townhouse. He remembers thinking, “Who is this guy who has the audacity to command me to retrieve a birthday cake, when I barely know who he is?” But Lee followed my directions and the birthday celebration was a success with many of the CCM singers and musicians in attendance.

Lee and Rett circa 1983

In the months that followed, I heard Lee perform as a collaborative pianist for Rett’s performances and also for several singers in the voice studio of Andrew White in which I was enrolled. I was very impressed with the quality of Lee’s performance and in late spring of 1983, I asked him to play one of my doctoral recitals scheduled for the following fall quarter. During that summer, Lee and I worked together, almost daily, in the practice room learning the repertoire for the recital, particularly a masterpiece entitled, La Bonne Chanson, by Gabriel Fauré. Lee’s fingers “sang forth” the melodies and countermelodies and I felt like the music emerging from his hands was caressing the tones and words coming from my mouth. Our brains were in sync and music was riding together on the same wavelengths. Lee became Rett’s and my coach/accompanist of choice, and for the next 24 years, we performed many recitals together.

L-R: Lee, Rett, Robert, and me in 1984 at Cullowhee Music Festival, NC

But a “hand in glove” musical partnership soon turned into a much greater brotherly friendship. One in which, time physically apart, had no bearing on its closeness. Lee and his husband Robert took positions at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and the physical distance between us meant that we saw each other on average only once a year. During those early years, we had no idea, that one day we would be next-door neighbors, although we often talked about how we might someday live close to one another. Now, Uncle Lee and Uncle Robert (as they are known to our children and grandchildren), have joined us as residents of Junk Road.

The "White Oak Trio" practices a piece for six hands composed for them by John David Earnest at Lee and Robert's residence on Junk Road, May 2021.

During our years as friends, I have found Lee to be trustworthy, honest, dependable, loyal, generous, opinionated, orderly, empathetic, fun and loving. Rett and I, and Lee and Robert have had many great times together, and have "broken bread" from his hands and oven on many delicious occasions. Happy 70th Birthday to my best friend!