Thigpen was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in Los Angeles and attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Chico Hamilton and Dexter Gordon also attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Thigpen, who studied sociology at Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, returned to East St. Louis to pursue music and live with his father, Andy Kirk of Clouds of Joy. Ben Thigpen, Thigpen’s father was a drummer who worked with Andy Kirk during the 1930s- 1940s. Thigpen worked in New York City from 1951 to 1952 with the Cootie Wilkins orchestra at the Savoy Ballroom. He played with many musicians, including Dinah Washington and Gil Melle, Oscar Pettiford and Paul Quinichette, Ernie Wilkins as well as Ernie Wilkins, Ernie Wilkins (Charlie Rouse), Lennie Tristano. He replaced Herb Ellis as guitarist in the Oscar Peterson Trio, Toronto, Canada in 1959. He recorded in Los Angeles in 1961, and was featured on the Teddy Edwards/Howard McGhee Quintet album Together Again, which was released by the Contemporary label along with Phineas, Jr., and Ray Brown. Thigpen, who had left Peterson in 1965, recorded the album Out of the Storm with Verve as a leader. From 1967 to 1972, he went on tour with Ella Fitzgerald. Thigpen, along with several other American jazz musicians, moved to Copenhagen in 1974. He worked alongside fellow Americans, such as Kenny Drew, Ernie Wilkins and Thad Jones. Clark Terry, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Milt Jackson, and Monty Alexander were also among his fellow musicians. After a short time in Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen (Denmark), on January 13, 2010, Ed Thigpen passed away peacefully. He is buried in Vestre Kirkegard. from http://en.wikipedia.org
