Hirt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of a police officer. At the age of six, he was given his first trumpet, which had been purchased at a local pawnshop. He would play in the Junior Police Band with the children of Alcide Nunez, and by the age of 16, Hirt was playing professionally, often with his friend Pete Fountain. During this time, he was hired to play at the local horse racing track, beginning a six-decade connection to the sport.
In 1940, Hirt went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with Dr. Frank Simon (a former soloist with the John Philip Sousa Orchestra). After a stint as a bugler in the United States Army during World War II, Hirt performed with various swing big bands, including those of Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Ina Ray Hutton.
In 1950, Hirt became first trumpet and featured soloist with Horace Heidt's Orchestra. After spending several years on the road with Heidt, Hirt returned to New Orleans working with various Dixieland groups and leading his own bands. Despite Hirt's statement years later "I'm not a jazz trumpeter and never was a jazz trumpeter", he made a few recordings where he demonstrated his ability to play in that style, during the 1950s with bandleader Monk Hazel, and a few other recordings on the local Southland Records label.
Hirt's virtuoso dexterity and fine tone on his instrument soon attracted the attention of major record labels and he signed with RCA Victor. Hirt posted twenty-two albums on the Billboard charts in the 1950s and 1960s. The albums Honey in the Horn and Cotton Candy were both in the Top 10 best sellers for 1964, the same year Hirt scored a hit single with his cover of Allen Toussaint's tune "Java" (Billboard No. 4), and later won a Grammy Award for the same recording. Both Honey in the Horn and "Java" sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.
Hirt's Top 40 charted hit "Sugar Lips" in 1964 would be later used as the theme song for the NBC daytime game show Eye Guess, hosted by Bill Cullen and originally airing from January 1966 to September 1969.
Hirt was chosen to record the frenetic theme for the 1960s TV show The Green Hornet, by famed arranger and composer Billy May. Thematically reminiscent of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, it showcased Hirt's technical prowess. The recording again gained public attention in 2003 when it was used in the film Kill Bill.
From the mid-1950s to early 1960s, Hirt and his band played nightly at Dan's Pier 600 at the corner of St. Louis and Bourbon Street. The club was owned by his business manager, Dan Levy, Sr.
Al Hirt club on the corner of Bourbon Street and St Louis in the French Quarter, 1977
In 1962 Hirt opened his own club on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, which he ran until 1983. He also became a minority owner in the NFL expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967.
In 1962, in an effort to showcase him in a different musical setting, Hirt was teamed with arranger and composer Billy May and producer Steve Sholes to record an album titled Horn A Plenty that was a departure from the Dixieland material that he was generally associated with. Covering an eclectic variety of popular, standard and show tunes, it featured a big-band supplemented by timpani, French horns and harp. He also appeared opposite Troy Donahue and Suzanne Phlesette in the 1962 motion picture, "Rome Adventure."
In 1965, he hosted the hour-long television variety series Fanfare, which aired on CBS as a summer replacement for Jackie Gleason and the American Scene Magazine.
Hirt starred along with the University of Arizona marching band at the first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967.
On February 8, 1970, while performing in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Hirt was injured while riding on a float. It is popularly believed that he was struck in the mouth by a thrown piece of concrete or brick. Factual documentation of the details of the incident is sparse, consisting primarily of claims made by Hirt after the incident. Whatever the actual cause of his injuries, Hirt underwent surgery and made a return to the club scene. This incident was parodied in a Saturday Night Live skit from their second season Mardi Gras special, the "Let's Hit Al Hirt in the Mouth with a Brick Contest".
In 1987, Hirt played a solo rendition of "Ave Maria" for Pope John Paul II's visit to New Orleans. He is referred to in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam, in a broadcast made by Lieutenant Hauk (Bruno Kirby).
Hirt died of liver failure at the age of 76, after having spent the previous year in a wheelchair due to edema in his leg. He was survived by his wife, Beverly Essel Hirt, and six children from a previous marriage.
Bill Bailey
Al Hirt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun was shinin' fine,
The lady love of old Bill Bailey
Was hangin' clothes on the line
In her back yard,
And weepin' hard.
She married a B&O brakeman
That took and throwed her down,
With a big gang hanging round
And to that crowd,
She hollered loud:
[Chorus]
Won't you come home, Bill Bailey
Won't you come home?
She moans the whole day long.
I'll do the cookin', darling
I'll pay the rent,
I know I've done you wrong;
'member that rainy eve that
I threw you out,
With nothing but a fine-tooth comb?
I know I'm to blame,
Well, ain't that a shame
Bill Bailey won't you please come home.
Bill drove by that door
In an automobile,
A great big diamond, coach and footman
Hear that lady squeal.
He's all alone
I heard her groan.
She hollered through the door
Bill Bailey, is you sore?
Stop a minute, listen to me
Won't I see you no more?
Bill winks his eye
As he heard her cry:
[Chorus]
The song "Bill Bailey" by Al Hirt speaks of a woman who is waiting for her husband, Bill Bailey, to return home. On a fine summer day, Bill's wife was hanging out clothes in the back yard while weeping hard. She married a B&O brakeman who betrayed her and threw her down. She yells and screams at a big group of people nearby. The chorus of the song then starts with her calling out to her husband, asking him to come back home. She regrets her actions and promises to do better this time. She even asks him to recall the rainy night when she threw him out with only a fine-tooth comb. The song suggests that Bill is already doing well in life as he drives past his wife in an automobile with a great big diamond and a coach and footman. When she sees him, she groans and begs him not to leave her. Bill responds with a wink and drives on.
Line by Line Meaning
One one summer's day,
It was a sunny summer day.
Sun was shinin' fine,
The sun was shining brightly.
The lady love of old Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey's wife or girlfriend.
Was hangin' clothes on the line
She was hanging clothes to dry on a clothesline in her backyard.
In her back yard,
In the backyard of their home.
And weepin' hard.
Crying heavily.
She married a B&O brakeman
She married a man who worked for B&O Railroad as a brakeman.
That took and throwed her down,
Who mistreated or abused her.
Bellerin' like a prune-fed calf
Yelling, screaming loudly.
With a big gang hanging round
In the presence of a large group of people.
And to that crowd,
Talking to the group of people there.
She hollered loud:
She shouted loudly.
Won't you come home, Bill Bailey
Asking Bill Bailey to come home.
Won't you come home?
Asking him to return home.
She moans the whole day long.
She is sad and upset all day long.
I'll do the cookin', darling
Offering to do the cooking for Bill Bailey.
I'll pay the rent,
Offering to pay the rent.
I know I've done you wrong;
Admitting to having made a mistake or done something wrong to Bill Bailey.
'member that rainy eve that I threw you out,
Remembering a time when she kicked Bill Bailey out of the house on a rainy night.
With nothing but a fine-tooth comb?
With only a fine-tooth comb with him when he was kicked out.
I know I'm to blame,
Admitting that she is responsible for their problems in their relationship.
Well, ain't that a shame
Expressing regret over the situation and how things have turned out.
Bill Bailey won't you please come home.
Asking Bill Bailey to please come back home.
Bill drove by that door
Bill came by the door in his car.
In an automobile,
In his car.
A great big diamond, coach and footman
He had a large diamond, a fancy coach, and a footman with him.
Hear that lady squeal.
Hearing the woman's excitement or joy.
He's all alone
Bill Bailey is by himself.
I heard her groan.
Hearing her moaning or sighing.
She hollered through the door
She shouted through the door at Bill Bailey.
Bill Bailey, is you sore?
Asking if he is upset or angry at her.
Stop a minute, listen to me
Asking Bill Bailey to listen to her for a moment.
Won't I see you no more?
Asking if she will never see him again.
Bill winks his eye
Bill winks at her.
As he heard her cry:
As he listened to her cry.
Won't you come home, Bill Bailey
Asking Bill Bailey to come home again.
Won't you come home?
Asking him to come back home again.
She moans the whole day long.
She is still sad and upset all day long.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, KENDOR MUSIC, INC.
Written by: . TRADITIONAL, LOUIS J FAGENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind