Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.
During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.
In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.
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 the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.
Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.
Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.
Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
After You've Gone
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Don't say that we must part,
Don't break your baby's heart
You know I've loved you for these many years,
Loved you night and day,
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
The lyrics of Lionel Hampton's After You've Gone describe a man pleading with his lover not to leave him. He can't bear the thought of being away from her and he's devastated by the idea of being alone. He begs her not to break his heart and implores her to stay with him. He tells her that he has loved her for many years and that she is the most important person in his life. He cries out to her, asking her to listen to him.
As the song continues, the man tells his lover that she will regret leaving him. He warns her that there will come a time when she will feel lonely and her heart will break like his. He tells her that she will miss him more than anything and that he is the best friend she has ever had.
The lyrics of After You've Gone evoke a deep sense of pain and emotional turmoil. The man in the song is clearly deeply in love with his lover, and the thought of losing her is unbearable to him. The song is a poignant reminder of the power of love and the pain that comes with losing someone you care about deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Now won't you listen honey, while I say,
Please pay attention as I speak to you, my dear.
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Why have you informed me that you shall depart?
Don't say that we must part,
Do not state that we must cause separation.
Don't break your baby's heart
Please do not hurt your beloved.
You know I've loved you for these many years,
I have cherished you for a significant amount of time.
Loved you night and day,
I have adored you throughout every moment of the day and night.
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
My dear, can you not perceive the tears streaming down my face?
Listen while I say
Pay attention to my words.
After you've gone and left me cryin',
Once you have departed while leaving me in tears,
After you've gone there's no denyin',
It is indisputable that following your leave,
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You will experience feelings of sadness and sorrow.
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
You shall long for the closest friend you ever had.
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There will arrive an occasion, please do not neglect this fact.
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
You will someday feel remorseful.
Someday, when you grow lonely
One day, when you feel alone,
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
Your heart will shatter as mine already has, and you will crave only my companionship.
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you have left, after you have gone far from me.
You're gonna feel bad
You shall experience unpleasant emotions.
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
You shall long for, you shall long for,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
And you shall desire the closest friend you have ever had.
But baby, think what you're doin'
My dear, please contemplate your actions.
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
I will haunt you, I will tease you relentlessly.
It's gonna drive you to ruin
It shall push you towards destruction.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Tuz
What a great entertainer! Not only was Lionel Hampton a wonderful musician, but he always looked like he was having the best time when playing!
That 70's Girl
He is One Happy Musician!! 😊
Thank you for sharing! 💖
willminkorea2010
A musical great
Angela Johnson
💛 🎼 💎 🎶 💛 🎼 💎 💐👏🥰
TrapStarBari
First h
that girl tea tea gang
Awesome Artist sounds Good