Kathy Thompson will dazzle you as everyone’s favourite Diva-Superstar, the Divine Miss M, featuring "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Stuff Like That There", "I’m Beautiful", "The Rose", "You Don’t Own Me", "Under the Boardwalk" . . . and an acute, outrageous sense of humour.
Since her first performance at age 16, Kathy has been a busy professional singer, getting a voice major at Humber College in Toronto and studying with private voice teachers. Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force, she was posted in Ottawa where she was the vocalist for the RCAF 55-piece Central Band for three years. After Sergeant Thompson’s "retirement", she has done performances numbering into the thousands at clubs, festivals, corporate events and private functions. She has made numerous television and film appearances, and recorded with the finest local musicians.
Kathy established her own band with a repertoire of over 400 songs for corporate and private functions, and was a member of the Martini Jazz Quartet. She was a founding member of The Singers Guild of Toronto, and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Toronto Musicians’ Association chapter of the American Federation of Musicians from 1994 to 1996, where she was also active on the Public Relations Committee to support live music. Kathy was the editor of the “See the Music” live talent guide. She studied animation voice acting in Los Angeles and Toronto, jazz dance, and improv comedy at Second City and Theatresports Toronto, Level V. Her varied resume includes standing in for Debbie Reynolds, recording commercial jingles, many for Irwin Toys as the voice of a little girl, and performing as a singing host at Yuk Yuk's owner Mark Breslin's venue “Sing Sing”. She also coaches pop singers and vocal groups at her teaching studio in Toronto.
Kathy has delighted in portraying Bette Midler
since her start in Las Vegas in 1995, and has recently added Peggy
Lee to her repertoire of tribute acts.
“When Kathy Thompson took the floor and made with the pipes, her talent
was disarming and a tough audience melted in record time. Pseudo-Midler,
tribute singer, call her what you will, this gal can belt a song and on
key. At times the resemblance was startling, from the sheer lung power to
the good-time gal/gay-bonhomie schtick that the real Bette Midler does so
well. In between there were twangy Midler inflections and camp demeanor,
as she cracked wise with the guys and won over cynics with
self-deprecation. Two words can account for Thompson’s success in
pretending to be what she’s not: authority and generosity. The former
she’s got in spades, just like the real Bette. The giving vein was there
in her big smile; she was enjoying herself. She tapped into Midler’s
energy and joy just for you singly and collectively and made us a gift of
her voice."
…XTRA
MAGAZINE, TORONTO (Spa X/S)
“One of the best acts yet seen in Bally’s celebrity impersonation
revue is Kathy Thompson, and she is just wonderful as Bette Midler. Clad
in tight toreador pants and high heels, Thompson presents an excellent
physical and vocal portrayal of the superstar. But she actually goes
beyond mere mimicry. Her turn is so energetic & entertaining that she
transcends simple impersonation. The performance stands as a great piece
of work in its own right.”
… WHOOT
MAGAZINE, ATLANTIC CITY
