Bruce Hampton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hampton performing in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gustav Valentine Berglund III |
| Born | April 30, 1947 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | May 1, 2017(2017-05-01) (aged 70) Atlanta,Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock,fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician,actor |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1960–2017 |
| Labels | Brato Ganibe,Capricorn,Columbia |
| Formerly of | Hampton Grease Band Late Bronze Age New Ice Age Aquarium Rescue Unit The Stained Souls The Fiji Mariners The Quark Alliance The Codetalkers The Pharaoh Gummitt The Madrid Express |
| Website | colbruce.com |
Bruce Hampton (bornGustav Valentine Berglund III; April 30, 1947 – May 1, 2017)[1] was an American musician. He was a key figure in theAtlanta, Georgia music scene, mentoring numerous other musicians who became national stars. His own musical style wasavant-garde, combining elements ofjazz,fusion,southern rock andjam band styles.
He first rose to prominence as the leader of theHampton Grease Band.[2] Adopting the monikerColonel Hampton B. Coles, Retired or alternativelyCol. Bruce Hampton Ret., and sometimes playing a sort of dwarf guitar called a "chazoid",[3][4] he later formed several other bands, some of whose names includeThe Late Bronze Age, TheAquarium Rescue Unit, The Fiji Mariners,The Codetalkers,The Quark Alliance, Pharaoh Gummitt, and Madrid Express.[5][6]
As a member of the Hampton Grease Band, Bruce Hampton helped record the 1971 albumMusic to Eat. According to legend, this was the second-worst-selling album inColumbia Records history, with the worst being a yoga record.[7][8]
Hampton's bandThe Late Bronze Age consisted of "Col. Hampton B. Coles, Ret." (Bruce Hampton) on vocals, slide guitar, mandolin, and chazoid; Ben "Pops" Thornton (Billy McPherson) on vocals, guitar, saxophones, and keyboards; Lincoln Metcalfe (Ricky Keller) on bass, guitar, brass, and vocals; and Bubba Phreon (Jerry Fields) on drums, percussion, trombone, and vocals. They performed several songs in the 1983 movieGetting It On.[9]
Hampton helped start the 1990s seminalH.O.R.D.E. tours.[10] The best known of his bands to play H.O.R.D.E. is thejazz-rock outfit Aquarium Rescue Unit, which featuredimprovisational music all-starsOteil Burbridge,Jimmy Herring, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Matt Mundy, andJeff Sipe.[11]
In 1994, Hampton then formed theprogressive rock/jazz duo Fiji Mariners and recorded two albums onCapricorn Records withDan Matrazzo who simultaneously played keys, drums, and bass. Later, Ricky Fargo, Marcus Williams joined on drums andJoseph Patrick Moore joined on bass.
Hampton was the voice of Warren, a talking potted shrub, in a 1998 episode ("Warren") of the TV showSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.[12] Hampton played Morris, the songwriting band manager, inBilly Bob Thornton's 1996 filmSling Blade. He also starred inMike Gordon's 2001 filmOutside Out as a guitar 'out'structor.[13]
Longtime friendSusan Tedeschi wrote a song about Bruce called "Hampmotized." It appears on her 2002 releaseWait For Me. Hampton returned the favor with the song "Susan T".
Basically Frightened: The Musical Madness of Col. Bruce Hampton, Ret. is a documentary about Hampton. It premiered at theAtlanta Film Festival in March 2012.[14]
Georgia GovernorNathan Deal presented Hampton with the Governor's Award In The Arts and Humanities in 2012.[15]
In 2014, Hampton made acameo in the music video for rap groupRun The Jewels' single "Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1".[16]
2015 saw the production ofHere Comes Rusty in which Hampton portrayed the lead character, Dicky, alongside co-starsFred Willard,Joey Lauren Adams andBrandon Niederauer. The film debuted at theAtlanta Film Festival in 2016, but was not commercially available until 2020.
On May 1, 2017, Hampton was honored by his friends at theFox Theatre inAtlanta,Georgia for his 70th birthday. DubbedHampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton, it was an all-star concert featuringWidespread Panic membersJohn Bell,Dave Schools,Duane Trucks, andJimmy Herring; blues guitaristTinsley Ellis;Peter Buck ofR.E.M; steel guitaristDarick Campbell; saxophone playerKarl Denson;Drew Emmitt andVince Herman ofLeftover Salmon;Jon Fishman ofPhish; banjo player Rev. Jeff Mosier of Blueground Undergrass; guitaristWarren Haynes;Drivin N Cryin frontmanKevn Kinney; Atlanta jazz-staple Johnny Knapp;Chuck Leavell; Athens rock-troubadourT. Hardy Morris; 13-year-old guitar prodigyBrandon Niederauer; slide guitaristDerek Trucks and blues singerSusan Tedeschi of theTedeschi Trucks Band;John Popper ofBlues Traveler; funk bassist Kevin Scott; keyboardistMatt Slocum;Denny Walley ofFrank Zappa fame; gypsy-metal guitaristEmil Werstler; Oliver Wood ofThe Wood Brothers; and MLB pitcherJake Peavy.Billy Bob Thornton was scheduled to appear but was not in attendance.[17] The event was produced by Good Times Productions with the proceeds benefiting the Fox Theatre Institute and other musician-focused charities.
During the encore performance of the show, Hampton suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on stage.[18][19] Onlookers and his fellow musicians initially either did not notice that Hampton had collapsed, or thought it was a ruse due to his history of falling down onstage during performances and other practical jokes. As a result, Hampton lay face down at Niederauer's feet, his left arm draped over a stage monitor, as Niederauer soloed on "Turn on Your Love Light". The band played for several minutes before Hampton was taken offstage; he died shortly thereafter at Emory University Hospital Midtown inAtlanta, Georgia.[18]
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