| Bruce Hampton | |
|---|---|
Bruce Hampton in 2008, Blacksburg, VA Photo: Roger Gupta |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gustav Berglund III |
| Born | April 30, 1947 |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Genres | Rock, Fusion |
| Occupations | Musician, Actor |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Brato Ganibe, Capricorn, Columbia |
| Associated acts | Hampton Grease Band Late Bronze Age New Ice Age Aquarium Rescue Unit The Fiji Mariners The Quark Alliance The Codetalkers The Pharaoh Gummitt |
| Website | colbruce.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Chazoid | |
Bruce Hampton (born Gustav Valentine Berglund III, April 30, 1947) is a surrealist American musician. In the late 1960s he was a founding member of Atlanta, Georgia's avant-garde Hampton Grease Band. Adopting the moniker Colonel Bruce Hampton, Retired, and sometimes playing a sort of dwarf guitar called a "chazoid", he later formed several other bands, including The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Fiji Mariners, The Codetalkers, The Quark Alliance and his most recent project, known as Col. Bruce Hampton and The Pharaoh Gummitt.
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As a member of the Hampton Grease Band, Bruce Hampton helped record the 1971 album Music to Eat, said to have been the second-worst-selling album in Columbia Records history. The worst selling album was a yoga instructional record.
Hampton's band The 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.
Hampton helped start the 1990s seminal H.O.R.D.E. tours. The best known of his bands to play H.O.R.D.E. is the jazz-rock outfit Aquarium Rescue Unit which featured improvisational music all-stars Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Herring, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Matt Mundy and Jeff Sipe.
In 1994, Hampton then formed the progressive rock/jazz duo Fiji Mariners and recorded two albums on Capricorn Records with Dan Matrazzo who simultaneously played keys, drums, and bass. Later, Ricky Fargo and Marcus Williams joined on drums.
Hampton was the voice of Warren, a talking potted shrubbery, in a 1998 episode (entitled "Warren") of the TV show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Hampton played Morris, the songwriting band manager, in Billy Bob Thornton's 1996 film Sling Blade. He also starred in Mike Gordon's 2001 film Outside Out teaching guitar 'out'struction.
Grammy Award nominated blues singer and longtime friend Susan Tedeschi wrote a song about Bruce called "Hampmotized." It appears on her 2002 release Wait For Me. Hampton returned the favor on his most recent album with the song "Susan T".