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.
Row Row Row
Al Hirt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the girlies he would take for a float.
He had girlies on the shore,
Sweet little peaches by the score-
But master Johnny was a wis'un, you know,
His steady girl was Flo
And every Sunday afternoon
She'd jump in his boat
And then he'd row, row, row
Way up the river he would row, row, row
A hug he'd give her
Then he'd kiss her now and then
She would tell him when,
They'd fool around and fool around
And then they'd kiss again.
And then he'd row, row, row
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Then he'd drop both his oars
Take a few more encores,
And then he'd row, row, row.
And then he'd row, row, row
Way up the river he would row, row, row
A hug he'd give her
Then he'd kiss her now and then
She would tell him when,
They'd fool around and fool around
And then they'd kiss again.
And then he'd row, row, row
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Then we'll drop both our oars
Take a round of applause,
And then we'll go, go, go.
The lyrics of Al Hirt and Ann-Margret's song Row Row Row seem to focus on the young Johnny Jones and his adventures with girls on his boat. Johnny is portrayed as a bit of a playboy who takes many girls on his boat, but he has one special girl named Flo who he spends his Sunday afternoons with. The two of them would row up the river together, cuddle, and kiss. They would then continue to fool around, kiss some more and row a little further. The song ends with Johnny dropping both his oars, taking in a few encores before they row back.
The song itself is quite upbeat and catchy, evoking the fun and carefree attitude of summer and young love. It is a playful and light-hearted tune with a feel-good vibe that is easy to sing and dance along to. The lyrics are simple, but they paint an image of a young and adventurous couple enjoying each other's company on a boat ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Young Johnny Jones he had a cute little boat
Young Johnny Jones owned a small boat that was appealing to others.
And all the girlies he would take for a float
Johnny would take multiple girls out on his boat.
He had girlies on the shore,
Johnny had female admirers on the shoreline.
Sweet little peaches by the score-
There were numerous attractive girls he could have chosen from.
But master Johnny was a wis'un, you know,
Johnny was a wise man who knew what he wanted.
His steady girl was Flo
Out of all the girls, Johnny had a consistent relationship with Flo.
And every Sunday afternoon
Regularly, every Sunday afternoon...
She'd jump in his boat
Flo would get in his boat with him.
And they would spoon
They would cuddle.
And then he'd row, row, row
Johnny would start rowing the boat.
Way up the river he would row, row, row
They would row far up the river.
A hug he'd give her
Johnny would embrace Flo.
Then he'd kiss her now and then
He would kiss her periodically.
She would tell him when,
Flo would inform Johnny when they should kiss.
They'd fool around and fool around
They would engage in playful activities.
And then they'd kiss again.
After playing around, they would frequently kiss again.
A little further he would go, oh, oh, oh,
Johnny would row even farther.
Then he'd drop both his oars
Johnny would stop rowing.
Take a few more encores,
They would receive additional praise or applause from onlookers.
And then we'll go, go, go.
Finally, they would continue their journey down the river.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WILLIAM JEROME, JAMES MONACO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beverly Clensay
Love it. Brings back so many memories ☕
Jim Hilliker
I agree, this sounds more like the TV commercial, and then Al Hirt really jazzes the music up a lot toward the end of the record.
hebneh
An ad man’s dream - a song from a commercial that gets popular enough to be recorded on its own, and played on the radio where it serves as free publicity for the product. In this case, for Maxwell House Coffee.
Dejael Long
In 1961, there was also a hit novelty Jazz-Rock-Pop instrumental version titled "The Percolator", on Dore Records, by a group named The Checkmates, which were not the same band as Ray Ruff's Checkmates of 1959-1964.
Carol Hunterton
I REMEMBER MAMA! But she was never so PERKY!
bongomanfromdalou
When that second cup kicks in, HOO BOY!
Thoseoldphonos 57
You should make a mix of songs dedicated to coffee, lol.
cluny
Sounds like a Bert Kaempfert arrangement.