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.
The Man I Love
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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Every night I dream a little dream
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
The he, for me.
Although I realize as well as you
It is seldom that a dream comes true,
To me it's clear
That he'll appear.
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
And when he comes my way,
I'll do my best to make him stay.
He'll look at me and smile, I'll understand
And in a little while, he'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word.
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday,
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day.
He'll build a little home just meant for two
From which I'll never roam, who would? would you?
And so, all else above,
I'm waiting for the man I love.
The lyrics to Lionel Hampton's song The Man I Love describe the singer's anticipation of meeting the man she loves. The singer depicts herself as a hopeful, romantic protagonist who dreams of a perfect love story. The lyrics convey the idea that she is in awe of the man she loves, and she fantasizes about his being big and strong. However, she is also aware that not all dreams come true, yet she still holds hope that the man she loves will arrive someday.
The song takes on a longing tone driven by a wistful melody which adds the element of tenderness to the lyrics. The singer appears to be waiting patiently for her prince charming to show up and make all her dreams come true. She believes that when she meets him, he will be the only man she will ever need. The lyrics express how she imagines their meeting and the home they will build together. In the end, the singer concludes her tale, stating that she is waiting for the man she loves, above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
When the mellow moon begins to beam
Every night when the moon starts shining brightly, I begin to dream about the man I long for.
Every night I dream a little dream
I have a longing desire every night to dream about the man of my dreams, without fail.
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
A perfect man, just like Prince Charming from fairy tales, is the one whom I fantasize and desire for.
The he, for me.
I am looking for someone who would be perfect for me and I hope to find that in someone soon.
Although I realize as well as you
I know it's a far-fetched dream to find someone perfect but yet I believe that miracles happen so I continue to dream of finding the man of my dreams.
It is seldom that a dream comes true,
I know that it's very rare for dreams to come true in reality and I am aware of this fact.
To me it's clear
Despite knowing the possibility of my dream not coming true, I still continue to believe that it will happen and it's quite clear to me that it will happen.
That he'll appear.
I am sure that someday the man of my dreams will appear in my life and make everything worthwhile.
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
One fine day, I will meet the man I will fall in love with and he will be the perfect person for me.
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
The person I will fall in love with will be tall, handsome and will have an appealing personality which will make me enamored with him.
And when he comes my way,
When I finally meet the man I dreamt of, I will be overjoyed with the act of serendipity of it all.
I'll do my best to make him stay.
I will do my best to make sure the man I love stays with me forever since he is the perfect person I always imagined.
He'll look at me and smile, I'll understand
When he looks at me with a smile, I will understand that he is the one for me and I will be overwhelmed with joy and excitement.
And in a little while, he'll take my hand
After he smiles at me and we have a few moments of staring into each other's eyes, he will take my hand since I am the perfect match for him too.
And though it seems absurd
Although it may seem irrational, I do believe completely in the notion of soulmates and I am certain that he and I are destined to be together.
I know we both won't say a word.
Both of us may not say a single word but our actions will speak volumes as we will embark on an epic journey together to fulfill each other's dreams and wishes.
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday,
I don't know when exactly I will meet the man of my dreams but I have hope that it may be soon, perhaps even on a Sunday.
Maybe Monday, maybe not
It could be a Monday, but the actual day is unknown and I trust that it will happen when it is meant to happen.
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Despite the uncertainty of not knowing when or where, I am positive that I will finally meet the man I love someday.
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day.
Tuesday might just prove to be a day of good news since I could potentially meet the person I long for on this day but I do not know for certain.
He'll build a little home just meant for two
We will have a small, cozy abode that will be perfect for just the two of us and this will be our refuge from the world outside.
From which I'll never roam, who would? would you?
I will never want to leave my perfect little world with the man I love and I doubt anyone would leave such a haven once they find it.
And so, all else above,
Out of everything else in the world or above it all, my love for the man of my dreams is the strongest emotion I possess.
I'm waiting for the man I love.
I am patiently waiting for the arrival of the man of my dreams as he will make my life complete and fill my heart with love and joy beyond measure.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Risto Koho
Is it also Lionel Hampton on Benny Goodman and his Orchestra version?