Born: November 7, 1847, East Liverpool, Ohio.
Died: September 20, 1909, New York City.
Buried: Riverview Cemetery, East Liverpool, Ohio.
Rebuffed in early attempts to sell his songs to commercial publishers, Thompson started his own publishing company. He later opened a store to sell pianos, organs and sheet music.
A lyricist and composer, he ensured he would always remember words or tunes that came to him at odd times:
No matter where I am, at home or hotel, at the store or traveling, if an idea or theme comes to me that I deem worthy of a song, I jot it down in verse. In this way I never lose it.
Thompson took ill during a tour of Europe, and his family cut short its travels to return home. He died a few weeks later.