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.
Deep Purple
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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Wo-o-oo-wo-wo,
Wo-o-oo-wo-wo,
Wo-o-oo-wo-wo
When the deep purple falls
Over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle in the night
In the mist of a memory
Breathing my name with a sigh
In the still of the night
Once again I hold you tight
Tho' you're gone your love lives on when light beams
And as long as my heart will beat
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Here in my deep purple dreams
When the deep purple falls
Over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle
In the night
In the mist of a memory
You wander all back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh
In the still of the night
Once again I hold you tight
Tho' you're gone your love lives on when moonlight beams
And as long as my heart will beat
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Here in my deep purple dreams
And as long as my heart will beat
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Here in my deep purple dreams
Wo-o-oo-wo-wo,
Wo-o-oo-wo-wo,
Wo-o-oo-wo-wo
The lyrics to Lionel Hampton's song "Deep Purple" evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The song begins by describing a scene where the deep purple of the evening sky falls over sleepy garden walls and the stars start to twinkle. This imagery sets a dreamlike and romantic atmosphere. In this mist of a memory, the singer addresses the person they still love, expressing how they constantly wander back to their thoughts, calling their name with a sigh.
The second verse continues the theme of longing and reminiscence. In the stillness of the night, the singer imagines holding their lost love tight once again. Even though the person is no longer physically present, their love continues to have an enduring presence, symbolized by the moonlight beams. The singer's heart will continue to beat with love, ensuring that they will always meet their beloved in their deep purple dreams.
Overall, the lyrics of "Deep Purple" convey a sense of wistfulness for a past love and a yearning to revisit those cherished memories. The color purple, often associated with passion and spirituality, serves as a symbol for this deep connection and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
When the deep purple falls
When the darkness of night descends
Over sleepy garden walls
Covering the peaceful gardens
And the stars begin to twinkle in the night
And the twinkling stars illuminate the sky
In the mist of a memory
In the haze of a distant memory
You wander all back to me
You come back to me in my thoughts
Breathing my name with a sigh
Whispering my name with a longing sigh
In the still of the night
In the quietness of the night
Once again I hold you tight
Once again I embrace you tightly
Tho' you're gone your love lives on when light beams
Although you're gone, your love continues to exist when rays of light appear
And as long as my heart will beat
And as long as my heart keeps pulsating
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Dear lover, we will always come together
Here in my deep purple dreams
Here, in my vivid and profound dreams
When the deep purple falls
When the darkness of night descends
Over sleepy garden walls
Covering the peaceful gardens
And the stars begin to twinkle
And the stars start to sparkle
In the mist of a memory
In the haze of a distant memory
You wander all back to me
You come back to me in my thoughts
Breathing my name with a sigh
Whispering my name with a longing sigh
In the still of the night
In the quietness of the night
Once again I hold you tight
Once again I embrace you tightly
Tho' you're gone your love lives on when moonlight beams
Although you're gone, your love continues to exist when moonlight shines
And as long as my heart will beat
And as long as my heart keeps pulsating
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Dear lover, we will always come together
Here in my deep purple dreams
Here, in my vivid and profound dreams
And as long as my heart will beat
And as long as my heart keeps pulsating
Sweet lover, we'll always meet
Dear lover, we will always come together
Here in my deep purple dreams
Here, in my vivid and profound dreams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter De Rose, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind