During the 1920s, while still a teenager, Hampton took xylophone lessons from Jimmy Bertrand and began to play drums.[5] Hampton was raised Catholic, and started out playing fife and drum at the Holy Rosary Academy near Chicago.[6][7]
Early career
Lionel Hampton began his career playing drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys' Band (led by Major N. Clark Smith) while still a teenager in Chicago. While he lived in Chicago, Hampton saw Louis Armstrong at the Vendome, recalling that the entire audience went crazy after his first solo.[8]
He moved to California in 1927 or 1928, playing drums for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers. He made his recording debut with The Quality Serenaders led by Paul Howard, then left for Culver City and drummed for the Les Hite band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. One of his trademarks as a drummer was his ability to do stunts with multiple pairs of sticks such as twirling and juggling without missing a beat.[9]
During this period, he began practicing on the vibraphone. In 1930 Louis Armstrong came to California and hired the Les Hite band for performances and recordings. Armstrong was impressed with Hampton's playing after Hampton reproduced Armstrong's solo on the vibraphone and asked him to play behind him like that during vocal choruses.[10] So began his career as a vibraphonist, popularizing the use of the instrument in the process.[5][11]
While working with the Les Hite band, Hampton also occasionally did some performing with Nat Shilkret and his orchestra. During the early 1930s, he studied music at the University of Southern California. In 1934 he led his own orchestra, and then appeared in the Bing Crosby film Pennies From Heaven (1936) alongside Louis Armstrong (wearing a mask in a scene while playing drums).[12]
With Benny Goodman
As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those days—and they were hard days in 1937—made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields.
Also in November 1936,[14] the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. When John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton perform, Goodman invited him to join his trio, which soon became the Benny Goodman Quartet with pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa completing the lineup. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated jazz groups to perform before audiences,[13][15] and were a leading small group of the day.
Lionel Hampton Orchestra
While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In 1940 Hampton left the Goodman organization under amicable circumstances to form his own big band.[14]
Hampton's orchestra developed a high profile during the 1940s and early 1950s. His third recording with them in 1942 produced the version of "Flying Home", featuring a solo by Illinois Jacquet that anticipated rhythm & blues. Although Hampton first recorded "Flying Home" under his own name with a small group in 1940 for Victor, the best known version is the big band version recorded for Decca on May 26, 1942,[16] in a new arrangement by Hampton's pianist Milt Buckner.[17] The 78 RPM disc became successful enough for Hampton to record "Flyin' Home #2" in 1944, this time a feature for Arnett Cobb. The song went on to become the theme song for all three men.
Guitarist Billy Mackel first joined Hampton in 1944, and would perform and record with him almost continuously through to the late 1970s.[18] In 1947, Hamp performed "Stardust" at a "Just Jazz" concert for producer Gene Norman, also featuring Charlie Shavers and Slam Stewart; the recording was issued by Decca. Later, Norman's GNP Crescendo label issued the remaining tracks from the concert.
It was at the sixth Cavalcade of Jazz, June 25, 1950, that Hampton's playing precipitated the closest thing to a riot in the show's eventful history. Lionel and his band paraded around the ball park's infield playing ‘Flying High’.[20] The huge crowd, around 14,000, went berserk, tossed cushions, coats, hats, programs, and just about anything else they could lay hands on and swarmed on the field.[21]Dinah Washington, Roy Milton, PeeWee Crayton, Lillie Greenwood, Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers[22] were also featured.
Hampton performed with Louis Armstrong and Italian singer Lara Saint Paul at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The performance created a sensation with Italian audiences, as it broke into a real jazz session.[25] That same year, Hampton received a Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI.
Later career
During the 1960s, Hampton's groups were in decline; he was still performing what had succeeded for him earlier in his career. He did not fare much better in the 1970s, though he recorded actively for his Who's Who in Jazz record label, which he founded in 1977/1978.[14][26]
Beginning in February 1984, Hampton and his band played at the University of Idaho's annual jazz festival, which was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival the following year.[27] In 1987, the UI's school of music was renamed for Hampton, the first university music school named for a jazz musician.
During much of the 1980s, some notable sidemen in Hampton's orchestra included Thomas Chapin, Paul Jeffrey, Frankie Dunlop, Arvell Shaw, John Colianni, Oliver Jackson and George Duvivier. Hampton remained active until a stroke in Paris in 1991 led to a collapse on stage. That incident, combined with years of chronic arthritis, forced him to cut back drastically on performances. However, he did play at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001 shortly before his death.[6][14][28] On April 15, 2002, the United States Congress celebrated Hampton's life and "resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the Congress, on behalf of the American people, extends its birthday greetings and best wishes to Lionel Hampton on the occasion of his 94th birthday."[29]
On November 11, 1936, in Yuma, Arizona, Lionel Hampton married Gladys Riddle (1913–1971).[33] Gladys was Lionel's business manager throughout much of his career. Many musicians recall that Lionel ran the music and Gladys ran the business.
Around 1945 or 1946, he handed a pair of vibraphone mallets to then-five year old (later jazz musician) Roy Ayers.
In January 1997, his apartment caught fire and destroyed his awards and belongings; Hampton escaped uninjured.[35]
Charity
Hampton was deeply involved in the construction of various public housing projects, and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation. Construction began with the Lionel Hampton Houses in Harlem, New York, in the 1960s, with the help of then Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller. Hampton's wife, Gladys Hampton, also was involved in construction of a housing project in her name, the Gladys Hampton Houses. Gladys died in 1971. In the 1980s, Hampton built another housing project called Hampton Hills in Newark, New Jersey.
Hampton was a staunch Republican and served as a delegate to several Republican National Conventions.[36] He served as vice-chairman of the New York Republican County Committee for some years[37] and also was a member of the New York City Human Rights Commission.[6] He served as Director of Special Events for Gerald Ford's 1976 re-election campaign.[38] Hampton donated almost $300,000 to Republican campaigns and committees throughout his lifetime.[39] However, in 1996 he endorsed Clinton/Gore, saying that the Republican party, which he had joined because it was the party of Lincoln, no longer represented moderates like himself.[40]
a 4-disc collection of 78rpm recordings: #23836, #23837, #23838, #23839, includes 6 tracks by Hampton & His Orchestra, plus 1 track by His Septet, and 1 track by His Quartet
Decca A-523; DL-5230 (10" LP)
1948
New Movements In Be-Bop
a 4-disc collection of 78rpm recordings: #24428, #24429, #24430, #24431, includes 4 tracks by Hampton & His Orchestra, and 4 tracks by Hampton & His Sextet
Decca A-661; DL-5222 (10" LP)
1951
Moonglow
a 4-disc collection of 78rpm recordings: #27372, #27373, #27374, #27375, includes 8 tracks by Hampton & His Sextet; the 12" LP contains 3 extra tracks
Decca A-804; DL-5297 (10" LP); DL-8230 (12" LP)
1953
Lionel Hampton's Paris All Stars (AKA Jazz Time Paris)
a CD compilation of Vogue LD-166, LD-167, LD-168 (all 10" LPs); all material recorded September 28, 1953
with Buddy DeFranco, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich; includes a 17-minute jam on "Flyin' Home". ––––– NOTE: there is also a 5-CD box set [731455979725] of the complete Verve recordings of Hampton's quartets and quintets with Peterson, as well as a number of other single-disc compilations.
L.A. is my lady (Frank Sinatra's last studio album, with Quincy Jones Orchestra)
As one of the most remarcable sideman in the recording sessions, including the Brecker brothers, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, George Benson and many others.
Selections from various RCA Victor and Decca recordings + AFRS and V-Disc
Proper BOX12
The Chronological ... Classics series
note: every recording by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra is included in this 12 volume series from the CLASSICS reissue label ...
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1937–1938 (#524) - RCA Victor recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1938–1939 (#534) - RCA Victor recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1939–1940 (#562) - RCA Victor recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1940–1941 (#624) - RCA Victor recordings; first Decca session
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1942–1944 (#803) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1945–1946 (#922) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1946 (#946) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1947 (#994) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1949–1950 (#1161) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1950 (#1193) - Decca recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1950–1951 (#1262) - last two Decca sessions; MGM recordings
The Chronological Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1951–1953 (#1429) - includes Hamp's first Norman Granz-produced quartet session (September 2, 1953) with Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich.
Glad-Hamp Records
GHLP-1001 (1961) The Many Sides Of Hamp
GHLP-3050 (1962) All That Twist'n Jazz
GHLP-1003 (1962) The Exciting Hamp In Europe
GHLP-1004 (1963) Bossa Nova Jazz
GHLP-1005 (1963) Recorded Live On Tour
GHLP-1006 (1964) Hamp In Japan/Live
GHLP-1007 (1965) East Meets West (Introducing Miyoko Hoshino)
^"Billy Mackel", The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, ed. Barry Kernfeld, 1988.
^Reed, Tom. (1992). The Black music history of Los Angeles, its roots: 50 years in Black music: a classical pictorial history of Los Angeles Black music of the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's : photographic essays that define the people, the artistry and their contributions to the wonderful world of entertainment (1st limited ed.). Los Angeles: Black Accent on L.A. Press. ISBN096329086X. OCLC28801394.
^Bryant, Clora (1998). Central Avenue sounds : jazz in Los Angeles. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN0520211898. OCLC37361632.
^“Candid Comments” by GERTRUDE GIBSON Review The California Eagle June 30, 1950.
^Identity & Affirmation Post War African American Photography. California State University Northridge: Institute For Arts & Media. 2011. pp. 16 and 19.
^“Pops Hampton Band Tops Outdoor Show” Article with Photo Los Angeles Sentinel July 21, 1955
^"S. Con. Res. 101 (ES)". GovInfo.gov. United States Government Printing Office. April 15, 2002.
^ abPeter Watrous (September 1, 2002). "Lionel Hampton, Who Put Swing In the Vibraphone, Is Dead at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2014. Lionel Hampton, whose flamboyant mastery of the vibraphone made him one of the leading figures of the swing era, died yesterday morning at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. He was 94. ...