'70s Rocker, With Iconic 1976 No. 1 Hit Song, Turns 78

Liz LindainTue, March 10, 2026 at 12:57 AM UTC

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Before it became a classic rock staple heard on radios for generations, "Blinded by the Light" first lit up the charts in 1976 thanks to the voice of Chris Thompson. The singer, who fronted Manfred Mann's Earth Band during the band’s most successful era, turned 78 on Monday — almost 50 years after the group's electrified take on a Bruce Springsteen song became a No. 1 hit.

Born in Kent and raised in New Zealand, Thompson started his career when he was in his 20s, performing for various bands that found success in the New Zealand music scene. In 1973, he returned to England and joined Manfred Mann's Earth Band. He remained with the British rock band for years, leaving once in 1979 to perform Night in Los Angeles, then joining again in 1982 and leaving again four years later, then returning and contributing to the group's releases until 1999. In the 1980s, the British-New Zealand singer pursued a solo career and has since released 15 albums.

While serving as the singer and guitarist of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, the group recorded a cover of Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten track in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada. The group also performed many hits by Springsteen, such as "For You" and "Spirit in the Night."

Chris Thompson, British rock guitarist, and South African keyboard player Manfred Mann on stage during a live concert performance by Mann's band, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England, Great Britain, 23 April 1978. Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images (Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images)

The original version of "Blinded by the Light" appeared in Springsteen's 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. According to an interview with American Songwriter that was published last March, Thompson actually revealed that Springsteen "hated" and "strongly disliked" Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of the hit, but didn't say that to his face when they had dinner together in the 1970s. Thompson explained that Springsteen's problem with their version of "Blinded by the Light" wasn’t because of its chart performance, but rather it was because Manfred Mann changed some of the original lyrics.

"He was upset that it had 'douche' in it," Thompson told the publication, "and that we’d actually changed some of the words."

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The British band changed its original lyric "cut loose like a deuce" to sound like "wrapped up like a douche," and this happened because an improperly aligned tape machine led to its distortion during its engineering, and made the words sound like the lyric was misunderstood. Still decades later, it is one of the most commonly misheard lyrics in rock history.

Dave Flett, Chris Slade, Chris Thompson, Manfred Mann, Pat King posted together at Manfred Mann Earth Band.Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns (Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns)

Though Thompson left Manfred Mann's Earth Band for good in 1999 (he helped with some of the rock band's albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s on-and-off), his impact is still felt by the rock community.

Thompson continues to create music, recently releasing the live album The Final Round in 2023 and supporting various cancer charities. He revealed on Facebook over the holidays and in an interview with Its Psychedelic Baby Magazine in May 2025 that he is currently working on a new solo album, after wrapping a 24-track musical with his wife and has pivoted away from extensive touring.

Related: Fans Honor Iconic '70s Actor on What Would Have Been His 90th Birthday

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”