Lionel Hampton (Louisville, 1990) began his musical career as a drummer, but is best known as a master of the vibraphone. Through his work at
Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman
in the thirties he gave this instrument a full place in jazz. From 1940 Hampton began working with their own orchestras. With his big band version of the song Flying Home 1942 he scored a big hit. The song would remain
… inextricably linked with him. Besides his virtuosity Hampton was known for his ability to bring a crowd of excitement in an advanced state. So it went public during a performance of the orchestra in the Amsterdam Apollo so rampage in 1954 that fell through the floor. The following year made his band so fur in the Concertgebouw that the police was obliged to act to break down. Hampton continued to occur in old age, living off his old hits like Flying Home, Hey Ba Ba Re Ba and Air Mail Special.more