Tommy Thompson has been playing professionally since he was 15 years old. By the age of 19, his band Cookin' Mama had already played shows at Bill Graham's Carousel Ballroom (Fillmore West) and the original Fillmore Auditorium. Between 1979 and 1984, while playing with the San Francisco-based band HYTS, Tommy recorded the 2 albums "HYTS" and "Lookin' From the Outside" (Gold Mountain/A&M records). The music video for the single "Backstabber" was played in heavy rotation on a then new and fledgling cable TV station, MTV. HYTS also performed on ABC television's Rock Palace. It was during this time period that Tommy began performing with The Alameda All Stars. Tommy has been the driving force of the All Stars ever since. He has kept it going and adds a spirit to the band that is truly irreplaceable. His heart and soul, feel for rhythm and blues, and his show biz approach is a huge part of the All Stars live shows. Tommy and the All Stars then met southern rock legend Gregg Allman, and a fast musical connection was made. From 1990-2001, Tommy played piano (with occasional stints on Hammond organ) for Gregg's band, Gregg Allman & Friends. With Gregg, Tommy toured throughout the U.S., Canada and Japan. Tommy also appeared on Gregg's "Searching for Simplicity" and "No Stranger To The Dark - The Best of Gregg Allman" cd's. In the studio with Gregg, Tommy had the pleasure of working with legendary producer Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Eric Clapton, Allman Bros). Over the years, Tommy has been involved in many recording projects with producers such as Jim Gaines (Sam and Dave), Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix), Larry Cox (Jefferson Starship), and Matthew Kaufman (Greg Kihn). Tommy recently appeared on Hammond Organ for the debut cd from Luvplanet with All Stars band mate Mark McGee. Tommy is so loved by so many. And rightfully so! He's a fantastic musician and a great human being!