WESTBROOK — Richard Thompson, recipient of BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award and named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time, will perform on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center.

Thompson is also one of the world’s most critically acclaimed songwriters. Robert Plant, REM, Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, David Byrne, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt and many others have recorded his work.

Born in 1949, Thompson spent his early years in post-war Britain, surrounded by a family with wide musical tastes, from his father’s jazz record collection to his elder sister’s early rock ‘n’ roll music. This, no doubt, contributed to the eclectic diversity of his multi-generational career.

Thompson’s live-tour CD “Dream Attic” was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Contemporary Folk Album. He was curator at London’s prestigious 2010 Meltdown Festival at South Bank Centre; and, for his service to music, was listed on the Queen’s 2011 New Year Honours List as an officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Thompson’s massive body of work includes 40 albums and numerous film soundtracks, including Werner Herzog’s documentary, “Grizzly Man.”

Thompson has earned many of the industry’s most coveted awards, including the Mojo Les Paul Award, the Orville H Gibson Award (guitar) and an Ivor Novello Award (songwriting). His genre-defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar, and his dizzying energy and on-stage wit continue to earn generations of new fans.

Opening for Thompson will be Robin Lane, a fixture of the 1970s Los Angeles folk scene who sang on Neil Young’s “After The Goldrush” album. In the late 1970s, she signed with her group Robin Lane And The Chartbusters to Warner Brothers. Eventually, she became one of the first divas to achieve steady rotation on MTV. She and The Chartbusters are putting together a documentary chronicling the group’s history.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. The Westbrook PAC is at 471 Stroudwater St. This is the Westbrook PAC’s inaugural concert hosting a national act. For tickets, $39, general admission, visit westbrookpac.org/richard-thompson/.