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.
Day By Day
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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And day by day my love seems to grow
There isn't any end to my devotion
It's deeper dear by far than any ocean
I find that day by day you're making all my dreams come true
So come what may I want you to know
I'm yours alone, and I'm in love to stay
The lyrics to Lionel Hampton's song Day By Day convey a sense of unending love and devotion. The singer is falling more deeply in love with their partner with each passing day, and their love seems to know no bounds. The singer knows that their devotion to their partner is stronger than any ocean, and they find that their partner is making all of their dreams come true. The singer pledges to their partner that they are theirs alone, and that their love will last as they journey through life together day by day.
What stands out about these lyrics is the sense of steadiness and steadfastness that the singer has towards their partner. They are committed to their love and to their relationship, and they are willing to weather any storm that might come their way as they move through life together. Additionally, the lyrics suggest that the singer finds deep joy and fulfillment in their partnership; their love seems to be a source of ongoing joy and wonder that inspires them each and every day.
Line by Line Meaning
Day by day I'm falling more in love with you
With each passing day, my love for you is getting stronger and deeper.
And day by day my love seems to grow
My affection for you keeps increasing and extending as time flows.
There isn't any end to my devotion
My dedication to you has no bounds and is infinite.
It's deeper dear by far than any ocean
My love surpasses any deep feelings known or experienced by mankind.
I find that day by day you're making all my dreams come true
I have observed that on a daily basis, you are bringing my aspirations into reality.
So come what may I want you to know
Regardless of the challenges that may come our way, I still desire to let you know that
I'm yours alone, and I'm in love to stay
You are the one that I belong to and my love for you will never leave nor change.
As we go through the years day by day
While we journey through the years, affirming our love every day, let us cherish each moment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GORDON MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind