R.I.P. Norman P (Tommy) Thompson Jr., 30-Year Smokestack Lightnin' blues music program founder, programmer and host.

 Tommy Thompson of Maitland Florida passed away January 29, 2021 of complications following elective back surgery.

"Tommy's boyhood affection for music led him to launch a radio show, Smokestack Lightnin', a blues review now in its 30th year. The show has been broadcast on Orlando stations WPRK, WLOQ and WUCF. Later, the internet helped create a world-wide audience. Tommy by then had retired from regular business and was devoted full time to the creation of the show. Musicians sent samples to his studio home in Maitland that he would review and play on the show. "He gave thousands of musicians a way to get on the public airways," said Orlando attorney Paul Newnum, who helped create the project with friend Marvin Rooks. Rob McKinney from Kissimmee later joined the team. "Tommy's dedication to the show was on an order of magnitude almost greater than life," Mr. McKinney said."

Excerpted from:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/winter-park-fl/norman-thompson-10034656

Smokestack Lightnin' Bio:
http://www.smokestacklightnin.com/tommy.html

Smokestack Lightnin' Program Information:
Saturdays, 8 - 11pm

WUCF, Orlando FL, 89.9FM, https://www.wucf.org and https://tunein.com/radio/WUCF-899-s23356/

Podcasts archived at:

https://anchor.fm/lawrence-anderson40.