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.
Georgia On My Mind
Al Hirt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quite as often as I could have
Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
But you were always on my mind
Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
I guess I never told you
That I am so happy that you're mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied
I'll keep you satisfied
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
But you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
In "Georgia On My Mind," Al Hirt sings about his regrets in not loving someone as much as he should have. He admits to not treating her as well as he should have, and possibly making her feel like she was second best. Hirt apologizes for being blind to her worth, but emphasizes that she was always on his mind. He recognizes that there were things he could have done better, small gestures and affection that he neglected to show her, but he hopes that she still loves him and gives him a chance to make things right.
The lyrics demonstrate a sense of regret and shame for not putting enough effort into a relationship. The singer acknowledges that it's easy to take someone for granted, and realizes that he let the love of his life slip away by not showing her enough appreciation. The song brings up the importance of communication in a relationship, and the need to express love and gratitude towards our partners.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I didn't love you
Perhaps my love for you wasn't enough
Quite as often as I could have
As often as I could/should have shown it
Maybe I didn't treat you
Perhaps I didn't treat you in the best way
Quite as good as I should have
As good as you should have been treated
If I made you feel second best
If I ever made you feel like you weren't my first priority
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
I'm sorry I didn't realize how much you meant to me
But you were always on my mind
Even if I didn't show it, you were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
I always thought about you
Maybe I didn't hold you
Perhaps I didn't physically comfort you enough
All those lonely, lonely times
During times when you felt alone
I guess I never told you
I realize now that I didn't express myself enough
That I am so happy that you're mine
I'm truly happy to have you by my side
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Please tell me that our love still exists
Give me, give me one more chance
Allow me the chance to make things right
To keep you satisfied
To make sure you're happy and fulfilled
I'll keep you satisfied
I promise to keep you happy and satisfied from now on
Little things I should have said and done
Small gestures and words of love that I should have shown
I just never took the time
I regret not making time for these things
But you were always on my mind
Despite my failures, you were always in my thoughts
You were always on my mind
I could never forget about you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Taylor
His tone is so vital and so full of energy from the lows to the highs. I love how he slides around and bends notes like a cascading waterfall. So fun to listen to.
frank ploger
one of my all-time favorites by Big Al....keep playing Al..we are listening
Robert Taylor
Absolute artistry! You never have a doubt that he is in complete command of the instrument.
toy man
Thanks Al...you were the best! Hope you're doing some great duets with Gabriel!