Ed was born in Chicago as Edmund Leonard Thigpen but raised in Los Angeles where he attended Thomas Jefferson High School, which also produced Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer and Chico Hamilton, amongst many other noted jazz musicians of the ‘40s and ‘50s. After attending college for a year locally in Los Angeles, Ed Thigpen left to pursue a career in music.

He moved to St. Louis where his father Ben, a drummer and veteran of Andy Kirk’s bands, was living. Eventually, like many gifted jazz musicians of that era, he found his way to New York City.

For many years Ed Thigpen played in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson and bassist Ray Brown. They recorded many albums during the ‘50s and \'60s.

Ed Thigpen moved to Europe in 1972 where he developed his role as an educator and clinician. In addition to writing many instructional books, he taught at conservatories and colleges in Copenhagen and elsewhere in Europe, all the while keeping up an active performance schedule with pianists, singers and his own groups.

In 2009 director and producer Don McGlynn made a documentary about the drummer: \'Ed Thigpen: Master of Time, Rhythm and Taste\'. Here\'s an excerpt from the docu, where Ed illuastrates the rhythm of Sweet Mama:

Ed Thigpen had lived in Denmark for 37 years, but he continued to perform, teach and tour all over the world, with more than 900 recordings to his credit.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by a sister, son, daughter and granddaughter.