Life is good for Bo Thompson, and he is incredibly grateful. He spends his weekdays as a quality manager for Hardwire, Inc. in Louisville, and his weekends are fulfilled with music and family.
As an expressive and inspiring musician, Thompson’s focused on becoming more recognizable in his home state of Mississippi and beyond. And his family fully supports his ambition.
On any given Thursday night through Saturday night, Thompson’s the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for The Smoke. Last year, he and two other musicians formed the band. The trio is comprised of himself, Danny Smith of Carthage as lead singer and drummer, and Mikhail Serio of Carthage as base player and backup vocals.
Thompson and Smith were earlier with The Dylan Morgan Band, playing primarily Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, releasing several singles and enjoying some success with that group. Just prior, he and Smith had formed and played with Pinnishook before the pandemic.
Thompson began his career by playing locally at The Cajun Country Club in Nanih Waiya. “The Cajun County Club had a dance hall atmosphere for an older-age clientele, but it was a really fun start for me as a young adult,” said Thompson.
For The Smoke, this is a building year. “We will work toward a routine circuit like other bands and seek to establish a foothold in the Southeast, hitting certain places with performances every couple of months, branching out, and hopefully becoming more successful,” Thompson explained.
Of late, The Smoke has enjoyed some choice bookings. “We played last fall’s Mississippi state fair in Jackson, The Library sports pub in Oxford this month, and we’re in Ocean Springs frequently,” said Thompson. “We are working hard to gain more visibility and a recurring presence at certain venues for our fan base,” he added.
The Smoke specializes in well-known songs. “We play celebrated favorites, but everything is our own musical interpretation of those,” Thompson shared. “From classic rock, ‘90s country, and some ‘2000s harder rock, we are covering a good selection of genres and eras,” he added.
Family life keeps Thompson grounded. At home in Winston County, he’s very much a hands-on father. He and his wife Heather Hill Thompson, a Winston County native who enjoys a career with Cadence banking system, first in Louisville and now in Philadelphia, have been married 15 years. They have three children, oldest son Jet, 10; daughter Ava Rose, 8; and youngest son Malcolm, 5.
Thompson has lived in Winston County since his family relocated when he was seven. He and his three younger brothers, Ryan, Joshua, and David, were homeschooled by their mother, Sheryl Thompson. Growing up, music was always present, and members of his maternal and paternal families were blessed with natural talent. A young Thompson started with piano, learning from his mother, then played drums before settling into guitar. On Sundays, he now leads the song service at New Covenant Assembly of God Church in the Preston community of Kemper County. His dad, Mark Thompson, manages Hardwire, Inc. and serves as church minister and founder.
“Music remains a huge part of daily life for all of us,” Thompson said.
At home, instruments are readily available. “I have quite a few guitars, and the kids have access to those. Jett has an electric drum set in his room, but music’s not something Heather and I push. We’ll see how it goes with the kids’ interests as they get older,” Thompson said.
Moving forward, Thompson will continue to solidify his foundation of family and music. “My family and my music are my passions, and I’m blessed to be in a position to enjoy both,” he said. “I truly hope to grow my music as my children age, but I’m very happy with what life holds at present.”
