Researching Alan Thompson

He first became involved in music in 1980, when he became the lead singer and songwriter of the band Peppermint Parlour. He had his first encounter with BBC Radio Wales when he dropped off a recording of a song and he was asked to record songs for the station. He later presented the Evening Show for BBC Radio Wales for four years.

He died on 28 September 2017 at the age of 54. He left a legacy behind for a cult following in the United States, particularly among members of Grand Rapids film and music company Crusty Entertainment, who viewed him as a type of mascot.

Thompson was born in 1959 in Gisborne, New Zealand. He attended Te Hapara Primary School, Gisborne Intermediate and Gisborne Boys' High School. and played rugby union for his high school. He was also selected for the under-18 North Island rugby team.

Thompson attended his first Summer Olympics in 1980 in Moscow and was part of the small New Zealand team of just four athletes that attended that year, as most western athletes stayed away due to the boycott that year. In the K-2 500 metres, Thompson and Geoff Walker were eliminated in the semi-final. In the K-4 1000 metres, Thompson's team did not start.

Thompson competed at six ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships between 1981 and 1987 and won three medals; two silvers (K-1 1000 m and K-2 500 m: both 1982), and a bronze (K-1 1000 m: 1983).

He won both of his Olympic gold medals at Los Angeles in 1984, in the K-1 1000 m and K-4 1000 m events. Thompson is one of the few New Zealanders to have won two or more Olympic gold medals. He went to his third Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, Korea, and came sixth in the K-1 1000 m.

After retiring from top-level canoeing Thompson became a coach, selector and manager for New Zealand canoeing teams and eventually became president of the New Zealand Canoeing Federation. He is self-employed in Gisborne.