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.
Oh Lady Be Good
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
The lyrics to Lionel Hampton's "Lady Be Good" can be interpreted as a plea for companionship and love. The singer recounts their sadness and loneliness, as they are all dressed up with nowhere to go and have yet to find someone to share their life with. They express a desire to "blossom out" with someone who understands them and can help them overcome their loneliness. The singer is reaching out to a woman, "Oh, sweet and lovely lady," asking her to be good to them and show them mercy because of their plight.
The song's message is relatable and universal, as many people have at one point felt isolated and yearned for a loving partner. The lyrics have a sense of longing and melancholy, but they also have a hopeful quality. The singer believes that they could improve their situation if they found the right person, and they are asking the lady to give them a chance.
Overall, "Lady Be Good" is a love song that captures the feeling of loneliness and the desire for companionship. The singer's plea for someone to be good to them is a powerful and emotional message that anyone can understand and relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to my tale of woe,
Please lend me your ear and hear my sad story.
It's terribly sad but true,
Unfortunately, what I will say is not only sad but also factual.
All dressed up, no place to go
I am ready to go out but have no destination.
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
Every night, I feel very sad and depressed.
I must win some handsome guy
I need to attract a good-looking man.
Can't go on like this,
I cannot keep living like this.
I could blossom out I know,
I strongly believe that I can improve and shine.
With somebody just like you. So
Someone like you can make all the difference. Therefore,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Dear kind and charming woman, please show me kindness.
Oh, lady, be good to me
Please treat me with tenderness and compassion.
I am so awfully misunderstood
People frequently fail to comprehend me correctly.
So lady, be good to me
Therefore, I beg you to be kind to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I implore you to have empathy.
I'm all-alone in this big city
I am by myself in this vast metropolis.
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
I confess that I am a solitary, vulnerable person.
So lady be good to me.
Thus, would you be willing to be kind to me?
Oh lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
Lyrics ยฉ Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephschauster3689
Very nice!! Such talent!
@that1theatreguy
This is absolutely fabulous. To even comprehend I've never heard of him before. Terrible lol. The skill Lionel has is wonderful. I love the energy he gives in his performance, it just makes you smile.
@lucianoalves968
๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ
@sherirobinson6867
I need more Lionel Hampton in my life
@kentchambers4468
๐บ๐ธ ๐ฅ