Finding Aid: Scope and ContentThe Lionel Hampton Collection at the International Jazz Collections is comprised of approximately 67.5 feet of materials dating from 1930 to 2002 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1940 to 1990. Included are personal papers, business records, musical compositions, photographs, sound recordings, videotapes, musical instruments, clothing, plaques and awards, artifacts and memorabilia, and paper ephemera. The most significant items in the collection are two and a half linear feet of personal papers and business records, four linear feet of musical compositions, one hundred and ten audiotape master recordings (in a variety of formats), four linear feet of photographs, and four musical instruments, including a vibraphone. Biographical noteLionel Leo Hampton was born in Louisville, Kentucky on April 20, 1908. He died on August 31, 2002 in New York City. He showed a talent for music at an early age and by high school, was playing drums with a jazz band organized by his employer, a newspaper called the Chicago Defender. Later, he attended classes in music theory at the University of Southern California and gained a reputation as a great drummer on the West Coast. In 1930, Louis Armstrong, when working for Les Hite's band, asked Hampton to fill in at an engagement at Sebastian's Cotton Club in Los Angeles. Then, while at a recording session, Hampton discovered a vibraharp in an adjoining room and began experimenting with the instrument. He would later become recognized as the "King of Vibes." In 1936, Benny Goodman invited him to join his newly formed quartet and this relationship lasted for four years until Hampton decided to strike out on his own, forming the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in New York City in 1940. After the demise of the big band sound in the 1960s, Hampton changed the size and structure of his band and called it "The Inner Circle." His professional presence in the music industry helped hit a new milestone as blacks and whites began to integrate the scene, breaking barriers that had existed before that time. In 1936, Hampton married Gladys Riddle who became his business manager, running all aspects of the enterprise until her death in 1971. Besides touring worldwide and playing engagements at home, Hampton developed a working relationship with the University of Idaho in 1984 and the annual jazz festival became a huge success. The university honored Hampton in 1987 by dedicating its school of Music as the "Lionel Hampton School of Music." The festival continued to grow with jazz artists from around the world participating. Hampton remained active in the festival until his death in 2002. For further information on Hampton's life, see Hamp: An Autobiography by Lionel Hampton and James Haskins, Warner Books, 1989. Processing noteThe Lionel Hampton Collection came to the University of Idaho between 1992 and 2003. The papers and photographs were processed by Marilyn (Tutti) Sandmeyer, a consultant to the International Jazz Collections, under the direction of Michael Tarabulski between May and August, 2003. The Hampton papers span most of Hampton's musical career, 1926-2002, with the bulk of the collection dating 1940-2002. The contents include 11 boxes (261 folders) and are organized into three series and 18 subseries. The collection consists of financial records, tax returns, contracts, royalty statements, certificates of incorporation, stock certificates, bank statements, payroll records, annual reports, correspondence, newsclippings, awards and certificates, concert or festival programs, publications, photographs, photo albums, negatives, and memorabilia. This collection came to us in parts and original order was difficult to discern for much of it. Where it was apparent, as in the case of files (incomplete as they are) for the various businesses, and with several of the subseries of photographs, we maintained that order. Folder titles were copied to new folders but additional headings and dates which were added to clarify the contents for ease of research. There are obvious gaps and a narrow focus of some parts of the collection. The absence of many personal papers and much memorabilia that one might expect in a collection of this sort is likely due to a fire that destroyed Hampton's New York City apartment in early 1997. Most of the records in this collection were given to the University of Idaho in 1992, another portion of them were in Hampton's possession but stored elsewhere at the time of the fire, and some few survived that fire because they were in a back closet. Other records were either destroyed or are still in the possession of business managers and publicists. This finding aid is currently a work in process. The collection is organized into 6 series and 26 subseries, as follows:
For a complete listing of boxes and folder contents, see the container list. |