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.
MA
Al Hirt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the fellows knew,
She wouldn't bill and coo:
Ev'ry single night some smart fellow would try
o cuddle up to her, but she would cry:
"Ma, he's making eyes at me!
Ma he's awful nice to me!
I'm beside him, Mercy!
Let his conscience guide him!
Ma, he wants to marry me,
Be my honey bee.
Ev'ry minute he gets bolder,
Now he's leaning on my shoulder,
Ma, he's kissing me!"
Lilly was so good, ev'ry body could tell.
You'd never see her roam,
She'd always stay at home;
All the neighbors knew little Lilly too well.
For when the boys would call, They'd hear her yell:
Ma, he's making eyes at me!
Ma he's awful nice to me!
Ma he's almost breaking my heart,
If you peek in, Can't you see I'm goin' to weaken?
Ma, he wants to marry me,
Be my honey bee.
Ma, I'm meeting with resistance,
I shall holler for assistance,
Ma, he's kissing me!"
The lyrics to Al Hirt's song "Ma" tell the story of Little Lilly, a shy and innocent girl who attracts the attention of many boys who try to woo her. Despite their advances, she always cries out to her mother that the boys are making eyes at her, being nice to her, and almost breaking her heart. She pleads with her mother to let his conscience guide him and declares that he wants to marry her and be her honey bee. As the boys become bolder and even start leaning on her shoulder and kissing her, she continues to cry out to her mother for assistance.
The song captures the innocence, shyness, and vulnerability of young love, as well as the protective and nurturing role of parents. The repeated calls to "Ma" underline the idea of dependence on a parent figure for guidance and support, as well as the notion that love can be both exciting and scary.
Overall, the lyrics to "Ma" are a witty and catchy portrayal of young love and the dynamics between lovers and their families.
Line by Line Meaning
Little Lilly was oh! So silly and shy
Lilly was a shy and naive girl
And all the fellows knew,
All the boys in the town knew about her
She wouldn't bill and coo:
She wasn't interested in flirting or being affectionate
Ev'ry single night some smart fellow would try
Every night, some clever boy would attempt to woo her
o cuddle up to her, but she would cry:
But she would get emotional and cry whenever someone tried to get close to her physically
Ma, he's making eyes at me!
Lilly calls out to her mother for help, telling her that a boy is showing interest in her
Ma he's awful nice to me!
She tells her mother that the boy is treating her really well
Ma he's almost breaking my heart,
She is starting to feel emotionally attached to the boy
I'm beside him, Mercy!
She is in his presence and is feeling overwhelmed
Let his conscience guide him!
She wants the boy to make a decision based on his conscience
Ma, he wants to marry me,
She tells her mother that the boy wants to marry her
Be my honey bee.
She wants him to be her sweetheart
Ev'ry minute he gets bolder,
He is becoming more confident and assertive with his affections
Now he's leaning on my shoulder,
He is showing physical interest by leaning on her shoulder
Ma, he's kissing me!
She tells her mother that the boy is now kissing her, and she is feeling overwhelmed
Lilly was so good, ev'ry body could tell.
Everyone in the town knew that Lilly was a good and innocent girl
You'd never see her roam,
She would never wander or go out alone
She'd always stay at home;
She would always be at home, not venturing out much
All the neighbors knew little Lilly too well.
The neighbors knew her very well because she seldom left her home
For when the boys would call,
Whenever boys came to her home to see her
They'd hear her yell:
She would shout out in distress
If you peek in, Can't you see I'm goin' to weaken?
She is telling her mother not to look, as she is close to giving in to the boy's affections
Ma, I'm meeting with resistance,
She is struggling to resist the boy's advances
I shall holler for assistance,
She tells her mother that she will call for help if she needs it
Ma, he's kissing me!
She reiterates that the boy is now kissing her, despite her resistance
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Con Conrad, Sidney Clare
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JazzFan76
My second favorite trumpet player: Al Hirt. Very underrated jazz trumpeter. It's a shame that most people don't include Al Hirt when they talk about jazz trumpeters.
Dan Faircloth
Agreed
Winterstick549
There is somebody better?!
Choctawnic
The dancing was unexpected and their size difference is hilarious. Great musicians obviously, but he's clearly an entertainer too!
Ernest
He was the total package. That is why he became a star. Lots of good musicians never become stars with recording contracts and big fan bases. It takes an entertainer as well.
TiqueO6
One doesn't even have to see him playing to hear how much fun he's having and that he's a very outgoing and sharing-the-joy type musician/person...I haven't listened to him for decades and just today have started to again, very glad for it!
Jorge Mario Rodas
Al Hirt fue uno de los grandes trompetistas de todos los tiempos. Su música es tan buena, que todavía da gusto escucharla.
mrob75
Al Hirt: New Orleans jazz down to the bone! I always enjoy his RCA LPs which I often find in thrift stores...They play SO nicely! Thank you for this upload.
PigBenis
My gf just got 3 of his vinyls for $1 apiece.
Thrifting at its finest 🎺
William Dane
Horn playin’ talent!