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.
I'm a Ding Dong Daddy
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just got here today
My home is way down in a little town
It's not so far away
Everybody for miles around
Calls me by my name
Now that I am in your fair town
You must do the same
Ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a clean cut fellow from Horner's Corner
Your ought to see me strut
I'm a caper cuttin' cutie
Got a gal called Katie
She's a little heavy laden but I call her "Baby"
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ping pong papa from Pitch Fork Prairie
You ought to see me strut
I'm a ding dong daddy
Got a whiz bang momma
She's a Bear Creek baby and a wampus kitty
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a popcorn popper and a big apple knocker
You ought to see me strut
I'm a mamma makin' man
And I just made Mary
She's a big blonde baby from Peanut Prairie
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a peach-pie papa from Jackson's Hollow
You ought to see me strut
I'm a honey dippin' daddy
Got a hard hearted baby
She's a sheik shakin' Sheba but she can't shake me
'Cause I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a jug jugglin' Jasper
From Flat Fork Flats, and
You ought to see me strut
I'm a corn-huskin' huskie
Got a gal called Cleta
She's a flip flop flapper
But her brains are in her fee
Oh, I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
I'm a cider sipper
From Corn Cob Center
You ought to see me strut
I'm a high powered papa
Got a gal called Susie
She's a fast movin' mamma
But she can't love me, 'cause
I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
You ought to see me do my stuff
The song "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas" by Lionel Hampton is playful and quite whimsical in nature. The lyrics describe a man who is new to town and introduces himself to everyone with confidence and personality. When he enters a new town, he expects everyone to address him by his name. Though the song has no real story structure or plot, it's a lighthearted piece where the lyrics seem to have no rhyme or reason.
The song appears to be a comical way of describing oneself, someone who is larger than life, and someone who can strut their stuff pretty well. The character in the song is quite proud of his wit, charm, and charisma. He is a ding dong daddy from Dumas, a ping pong papa from Pitch Fork Prairie, and a popcorn popper and big apple knocker. The character bragged about his girl calls Katie, who is "a little heavy laden, but I call her Baby," and brags about his knack for making women fall for him.
Overall, "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas" is not trying to say anything more than a tongue-and-cheek self-introduction of this larger-than-life character, who is trying to make a name for himself wherever he goes.
Line by Line Meaning
I reckon you all don't know me at all
I believe none of you are familiar with me
I just got here today
I arrived in this town recently
My home is way down in a little town
I belong to a small town situated far from here
It's not so far away
The distance between my home town and this place is not very great
Everybody for miles around
People who live in the surrounding areas
Calls me by my name
They address me by my given name
Now that I am in your fair town
Since I'm now in your town
You must do the same
You should adopt the same approach
For I'm a Ding dong daddy from Dumas
Because I am a prominent person in my community
You ought to see me do my stuff
You should watch me perform and showcase my abilities
I'm a clean cut fellow from Horner's Corner
I have a neat and tidy appearance
Your ought to see me strut
You should watch me move stylishly
I'm a caper cuttin' cutie
I'm a charming person who likes to dance
Got a gal called Katie
I have a girlfriend named Katie
She's a little heavy laden but I call her "Baby"
She's slightly overweight but I endearingly refer to her as "Baby"
I'm a ping pong papa from Pitch Fork Prairie
I excel at playing ping pong and belong to Pitch Fork Prairie
I'm a ding dong daddy
I am a successful and popular person
Got a whiz bang momma
I have a talented and exciting partner
She's a Bear Creek baby and a wampus kitty
She's attractive and independent
I'm a popcorn popper and a big apple knocker
I sell popcorn and I have a passion for apple products
I'm a mamma makin' man
I'm a ladies' man
And I just made Mary
I recently dated a woman named Mary
She's a big blonde baby from Peanut Prairie
She's an attractive, blonde woman from Peanut Prairie
I'm a peach-pie papa from Jackson's Hollow
I'm good at making peach pies and am known to be from Jackson's Hollow
I'm a honey dippin' daddy
I'm a charming and sweet person
Got a hard hearted baby
I have a resilient partner
She's a sheik shakin' Sheba but she can't shake me
She's an attractive and self-assured woman, but she doesn’t have an effect on me
I'm a jug jugglin' Jasper
I'm capable of juggling jugs very well
From Flat Fork Flats, and
I'm from Flat Fork Flats
I'm a corn-huskin' huskie
I excel at husking corn
Got a gal called Cleta
I have a girlfriend named Cleta
She's a flip flop flapper
She wears flip-flops and flappy clothes
But her brains are in her feet
She's not intelligent
I'm a cider sipper
I enjoy drinking cider
From Corn Cob Center
I belong to Corn Cob Center
I'm a high powered papa
I'm successful and influential
Got a gal called Susie
I have a girlfriend named Susie
She's a fast movin' mamma
She's very busy
But she can't love me, 'cause
However, she cannot have any feelings for me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHIL BAXTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MOHIN AGATA
The name is ding dong baby