Lionel Hampton is one of the most extraordinary musicians of the 20th centu… Read Full Bio ↴Lionel Hampton is one of the most extraordinary musicians of the 20th century and his artistic achievements symbolize the impact that jazz music has had on our culture in the 21st century.

He was born April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Charles Hampton, a promising pianist and singer, was reported missing and later declared killed in World War I. Lionel and his mother, Gertrude, first moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to be with her family, then settled in Chicago.

He attended the Holy Rosary Academy, near Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a Dominican sister give him his first drum lessons.

In 1930, Hampton was called in to a recording session with Armstrong, and during a break Hampton walked over to a vibraphone and started to play. He ended up playing the vibes on one song. The song became a hit; Hampton had introduced a new voice to jazz and he became "King of the Vibes."

When Benny Goodman heard him play, Goodman immediately asked Hampton to record with him, Gene Krupa on drums and Teddy Wilson on piano. The Benny Goodman Quartet recorded the jazz classics "Dinah," "Moonglow," "My Last Affair," and "Exactly Like You." Hampton's addition to the groups also marked the breaking of the color barrier; the Benny Goodman Quartet was the first racially integrated group of jazz musicians.

Hampton and his wife, Gladys, were married Nov. 11, 1936. Gladys served as his personal manager, and developed a reputation as a brilliant businesswoman. She was responsible for raising the money for Lionel to start his own band.

As a bandleader, he established the Lionel Hampton Orchestra that became known around the world for its tremendous energy, dazzling showmanship and first-class jazz musicianship. "Sunny Side of the Street," "Central Avenue Breakdown," his signature tune, "Flying Home," and "Hamp's Boogie-Woogie" all became top-of-the-chart best-sellers upon release and the name Lionel Hampton became world famous overnight, and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra had a phenomenal array of sidemen.

The band also initiated the first phase of Hampton's career as an educator by graduating such talents as Illinois Jacquet, Cat Anderson, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, and singers Joe Williams, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter and Aretha Franklin. The Lionel Hampton Orchestra became known around the world for its tremendous energy, dazzling showmanship and first-class jazz musicianship.

As a composer and arranger, Hampton wrote more than 200 works, including the jazz standards Flying Home, Evil Gal Blues, and Midnight Sun. He also composed the major symphonic work, "King David Suite."

As a statesman, he was asked by President Eisenhower to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the United States, and his band made many tours to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East, generating a huge international following. President George Bush appointed him to the Board of the Kennedy Center, and President Clinton awarded him the National Medal of the Arts.

As a businessman, he established two record labels, his own publishing company, and he founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation to build low-income housing in inner cities.

In his continuing role as an educator, he began working with University of Idaho in the early 1980s to establish his dream for the future of music education. In 1985, the University named its jazz festival for him, and in 1987 the University's music school was named the Lionel Hampton School of Music. Nearly 20 years later, the University of Idaho has developed an unprecedented relationship with Hampton by ensuring that his vision lives through the Lionel Hampton Center, a $60 million project that will provide a "home for jazz," housing the university's Jazz Festival, its School of Music, and its International Jazz Collections, all designed to help teach and preserve the heritage of jazz.

His lifetime of "swinging" is well documented through hundreds of recordings, many of which rank among the best in jazz, and all of which will be housed and studied inside the Lionel Hampton Center in Moscow, Idaho, slated to open in 2006.

Lionel Hampton passed away
Saturday, August 31, 2002.

Perdido
Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Perdido,
I look for my heart
It's perdido
I lost it way down in Torito
The day the fiesta started
Bolero,

I sway that they play the Bolero

I kissed me the listing sombrero
And that's when my heart departed
High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido
My heart ever since is Perdido
I know I must go to Torito
To find what I lost Perdido

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"
Perdido

Goodnight perdido
I lost perdido

Overall Meaning

The song Perdido by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra tells a story of a person who is searching for their heart, which they lost in a place called Torito during a fiesta where the Bolero was played. Bolero is a Spanish dance characterized by its slow and romantic movements, which fits the mood of the song. The singer confesses that they lost their heart after kissing someone under a listing sombrero, a traditional Mexican hat, and that they've been looking for it ever since.

The song evokes a sense of longing, regret, and nostalgia as the singer reminisces about the time they spent with their lost love. The lyrics' emphasis on the high sun and low moon suggests that they had a fleeting romance that lasted from day till night. The use of the word 'perdido,' which means lost or missing in Spanish, adds to the song's emotional layering.

Line by Line Meaning

Perdido,
I am lost,

I look for my heart
I search for my heart,

It's perdido
It is lost,

I lost it way down in Torito
I lost it in Torito,

The day the fiesta started
When the fiesta began,

Bolero,
They play the Bolero,

I sway that they play the Bolero
I dance to the Bolero,

I kissed me the listing sombrero
I kissed under the sombrero,

And that's when my heart departed
And that moment, my heart left me,

High, was the sun when I held him close
The sun was high when I held him near,

Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"
The moon was low when we bid farewell,