By most accounts, the overflow gathering at McClendon Mortuary in north St. Louis County on Dec. 22 was an event befitting a statesman.
Henry George “Hank” Thompson died Dec. 8. He was best known as a radio personality who, for more than 40 years, chronicled and championed the pride, pitfalls and plight of the Black community.
Political consultant Tim Person described how he learned of the death of his longtime friend.
“He called me the week before his death. He told me he was in the hospital but still wanted to get together. I didn’t even know he was sick,” Person recalled. “The last thing he said was ‘the doctor said I’m going to be great.’”
Person was headed out of town at the time and told Thompson he would call when he returned. The day he came back was the day he learned Thompson had died.
Born June 21, 1945, Thompson was one of eight children of Henry and Emma Lou Thompson. His education began at Riddick Elementary School, and he graduated from Vashon High School before attending Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University). He later attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Saint Louis University. He also served in the United States Air Force, spending time overseas, including extended work in Saudi Arabia.
Thompson entered the radio business in 1982 as an account executive with Magic 108 FM. He later partnered with Robert Lawrence Salter (also known as Scotty Lawrence) and Al Hillman to found the Salter & Thompson Advertising Agency, described in his obituary as “St. Louis’ first minority owned advertising agency.”
Former St. Louis Public Radio personality Sheila Reed worked with Thompson and Salter during that period. She was with them when they launched “Saturday Morning Live,” a weekly program blending music, comedy and conversation on KBDY 89.9 FM, where Thompson also served as general manager. The show later evolved into “Good Morning St. Louis,” airing on KATZ and KXOK.
“Hank was a jovial, funny and smart type of guy. He knew the radio business,” Reed recalled, adding that she had “thoroughly enjoyed his company” for decades.
During the late 1980s and ’90s, Thompson was part of a diverse mix of Black radio voices — including the late Onion Horton and Liz Brown — who energized the airwaves with opinionated and often controversial commentary. Person, who served as a political consultant for the late Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr. and later worked for his son, Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., was a frequent guest on Thompson’s shows.
“He relished his community and often said, ‘man, we don’t have enough black voices out there. We need more Black voices; we need Black media,’” Person recalled. “He was always talking about messaging and making sure the Black community was informed.”
Thompson worked for The St. Louis American as a sportswriter, political columnist and account executive while continuing to produce and contribute to programming across multiple stations, including WGNU, KXLW, WXIN and WESL. He expanded into television in 2005, producing “Voices” for St. Louis Public Schools. In 2008, he and his wife, Sandra, founded Thompson Home Health Team.
In 2018, Thompson returned to broadcasting through a partnership with KDHX FM and created “Tangazo,” a locally produced podcast he described as “a meeting place where ideas were shared to improve the human condition and make life better.”
Robert Powell, founder and executive director of the Portfolio Gallery & Education Center, described Thompson’s journey in media as that of “an entrepreneur who did what he had to do.”
“Hank was a unique person who wanted the best for his community,” Powell said. “He tried to deliver what he thought was right on his radio and podcast programs as well as calling people out on their shortcomings.”
Being outspoken and willing to “call people out” did not always endear Thompson to everyone. During his funeral, friends openly acknowledged that complexity.
“He was a helluva guy, but a different kind of guy, too,” Person said. Some who spoke at the service echoed his sentiment: “If Hank was your friend, you knew there were challenges that came along with that.”
Thompson’s obituary notes that he leaves behind a “devoted wife, Sandra Thompson, children Christian Thompson and Susan Thompson; his beloved bonus sons Darrel Dixon and David Samples; his sister Beverley L. Thompson,” along with relatives, colleagues, friends and “listeners from St. Louis and beyond.”
The obituary concludes:
“His voice, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to meaningful conversation leave an enduring imprint on the hearts of all who knew him, heard him and loved him. His life stands as a testament to the power of voice, community, and a life lived with intention.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
Enjoy his podcast. I hope co host continues