Slide Hampton
A master arranger and virtuoso trombonist whose sleek, harmonically rich compositions became a bedrock of modern big band jazz.
1932–2021 (age 89)·American trombonist·Birthday: April 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
Slide Hampton, born Locksley Wellington Hampton, brought a singularly smooth and intelligent voice to jazz from the 1950s onward. Hailing from a musical family in Indiana, he was a self-taught trombonist who quickly graduated from territory bands to touring with legends like Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. His true signature, however, was his genius for arrangement; his charts for ensembles like the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and his own World of Trombones group were marvels of texture and forward-thinking harmony. Hampton won two Grammy Awards, not for playing but for his meticulous, expansive writing. He remained a revered elder statesman, teaching and performing with undiminished elegance until his passing in 2021, leaving behind a library of music that continues to challenge and inspire.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Slide was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Slide Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Slide's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2021Died at 89
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Won two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Arrangement, for 'Airegin' (1998) and 'Past Present Future' (2005).
- Formed and led the acclaimed 'World of Trombones' ensemble, showcasing the instrument's versatility.
- Served as a pivotal arranger and composer for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.
Did You Know?
He was left-handed and played a standard right-handed trombone, holding it upside down.
His sister, Dawn Hampton, was also a celebrated jazz singer and dancer.
He received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest US honor in jazz, in 2005.
“The trombone can sing a melody as sweetly as any saxophone.”
