Col. Bruce Hampton died May 1 in what can only be described as a fitting way. The longtime music icon of the Atlanta and southeast region passed away on stage at the Fox Theatre on stage with members of R.E.M., Widespread Panic, Phish, Allman Brothers, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ and many others
During the performance, celebrating his 70th birthday Hampton laid down on the stage, something he was known to do at times but it became quickly apparent that something was wrong and he was given medical attention and transported to Crawford Long Hospital where he passed away shortly thereafter.
An avant garde musician known as the “Granddaddy of the Jam Scene” he first came to his hometown of Atlanta with the Hampton Grease Band who released one album, Music to Eat. During the ‘70s ad ‘80s Hampton led The Bronze Age but it wasn’t until around 1990 that he attained the recognition he deserved with Col. Bruce Hampton and the Rescue Unit, whose founding members went on later to become members of Widespread Panic, The Allman Brothers Band and Leftover Ssalmon. It was during the early ‘90s that Hampton was credited with promoting and help jam-based rock and roll into the mainstream as bands like The Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead saw a resurgence and bands like Phish, Leftover Salmon and Widespread Panic become household names. Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit help start H.O.R.D.E. Festival (Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere) the forerunner of what became Bonnaroo.
After 1993 Hampton departed ARU and over the next 24 years he was part of The Fiji Mariners, The Quark Alliance, The Codetalkers,The Pharaoh Gummitt and The Madrid Express.
A documentary about Hampton was released in 2012 and in the same year Georgia Governor Nathan Deal presented Hampton with the Governor’s Award In The Arts and Humanities.
Tags: Allman Brothers Aquarium Rescue Unit Atl Col. Bruce Hampton Fox Theatre Hampton Grease Band Leftover Salmon Phish The Codetalkers The Fiji Mariners The Madrid Express The Pharaoh Gummitt The Quark Alliance Widespread Panic
