European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Mary Campbell associated press  Lionel Hampton who turned 75 last month is leading a swinging band of 17 musicians mostly in their 20s. Following he beat of Anol Hof generation we re doing big business on the  says Hamp. As he is known to his in ends we play every night. We pack the House i Don t have to play Rock n Roll i play whal i always played like beat me daddy eight to Iho  Hampton who was in the first racially integral of group in jazz Benny Goodman s quartet Drolc his most famous composition flying Home in 1937. He Esli males to has played it 300 limes a year Lor 51 years and it still stops the show i like 10 play with Elliis  says Hampton. Who Rock oils his musicians from among College graduates who majored in jazz. The Guys Are All interested. Everybody tries to play Teller than to played last night. Thai makes it fun. I m trying to play better than i played last night.  the band spent its annual Sling in february at he University of Idaho Lionel Hampton school of music where some 15.000 High schooners came to seminars. It opened the jazz Orl Al Manhattan s South Streel seaport with two two hour concerts on both april 1 and 2 and played a Benefit 01 jazz radio station Wngo pm at town Hall on april 7. Alter a birthday Bash at Regine s in new York on april 19. The band Letl the next Day Hampton s 7blh birthday on a tour of Germany France. Scandinavia. Ausilia Switzerland and Italy. Hampton who plans to Campaign Tor the republicans will play jazz festivals this summer and appear at the Hollywood bowl and Disneyland he s invited to Brazil for two weeks and on a jazz cruise for eight Days the gun the unrestrained Energy buoyant personally and showmanship ate still Hampton s Hallmarks along with his melodic and swinging performing style. When i was a kid. I always wanted to put on a  he recalls. I liked to gel in the Moonshine at night. Doing Ike i m on the stage i always liked to be taking  Hampton who a bom in Louisville ky., says that when his father joined the Aimy his Mother moved him to her family Home in Birmingham where he was raised by his grandmother. We used la go to the holiness Church every time the Church door  he recalls there was a swinging band jazz Antn Hampton doing Tig business on the  Lionel Hampton still swinging at 75 Hera trumpets saxophones guitars. We sat Down in one of the front pews next to where the band was. When the Violor beating the Bass drum would get Happy and Start up and Down the aisles i took Iho mallets and started beating the Bass drum. It was my introduction to  not Only has he stayed with music Hampton says i also stayed with the Bible and religion All the  a trained picture of his grandmother Livinia Morgan rests on the grand piano in Hampton s Manhattan apart men. I was crazy about my grandmother a says. When the family moved to Chicago where the schools were Tough his grandmother sent him to a roman Cash Otic school in Kenosha  nun taught him How to play the snare drum and How to twirl the Sticks toss and catch them. Back in Chicago he joined Les Hite s band As a drummer. At age 15 he followed Hite to los Angeles and two Yea s later they auditioned Loback Louis Armstrong Al Frank Sebastian s Collon club in los Angeles Louis liked us so Well he took us recording with  Hampton recalls. There was a set of vibes in a Comer. Louis said do you know How to play a move it out Here in the Middle of the floor and play something for me i had been in the Chicago defender newsboy a band in Chicago. They had a xylophone it s Gol the same keyboard i played Drums in the marching band and timpani and xylophone in the concert band. We had a Good bandmaster. Maj. Endicott Smith who had graduated in music from the University of Heidelberg. He Laughl me German Harmony. Anybody interested he would Leach them Hampton had studied Armstrong s records soon that october Day in t930 he romped through Armstrong s trumpet Solo in big Butler end egg Man on the vibraphone a knocked Louis out Hampton says. They recorded eight songs that Day. The Lei hits band backed Armstrong for nine months at the Cotton club. Hampton became known. When the engagement ended Hampton assembled his first band. They travelled in Lour cars and a trailer for his Drums and vibes from san Diego to Vancouver . I always played Good dance music and played jazz for a show. I built up a following Hampton says. I play a Tol of dances now. They always ask me to make return engagements. Young people dance too. I m just Back from a teen age affair in Washington. There were 5,000 kids there. A were supposed to cml Al 10.30 at 12 30 they were Yelling Lor More and stomping on Iho  in inc Early 1930s, Hampton traded Louring Lor a Tob in Hie Paradise nightclub across the Street rom Iho los Angeles Tram station. They d leave the doors open Hampton says and sailors arriving to pain the Lown would come in. Cor was 25 cells a Pilcher and there was sawdust on the floor. "1 had a Good band Hicie Hampton says. Benny Goodman was Al the Palomar ballroom. John Hammond was Wilh him. Naturally John would ask where to could hear some Good jazz he heard us and he brought Bonny Down. To and behold i m on the bandstand playing and i hear a Guy playing clarinet beside to. I could ill it was Benny s famous clarinet. It was aug 19, 1936. I la never forgot we played like that about iwo hours straight. People worn calling people and they were coming from All Over town. That place was packed and jammed. We was blowing Benny asked me to come the next morning to a recording Dale. 1 won and we did non glow and Dinah those records got so popular. Benny kept calling me to come to now York. We thought he was kidding. The Paradise took the sawdust Olf the floor and put tablecloths on Trio tables. It was $1.25 to come in. After Hal Jam session you Couton l get in even with the pries of admission. We Gol super famous overnight because Benny had come and christened  on nov. 11.1938, Hampton joined the Benny Goodman quartet Al the Pennsylvania hotel in now York Gly everything was segregated Ihen Black and  to says. Thai night the Barrier broke. You be got to give Benny  Hampton lays that Black pianist Teddy Wilson had played intermission music Lor Goodman band concerts and played Wilh Goodman and drummer Gene Krupa As the Benny Goodman Trio on records but never live until Hal nov 11 when the Limo became a quartet. I had four gorgeous years Wilh Benny Hampton says. Then Benny had Back trouble and his doctor told him to rest awhile. He Gol me a contract Al Ria and i started making All Star records they re re issuing them in Between gigs. Hampton supervises his philanthropies the Lionel Hampton ear research foundation and the Lionel Hampton endowment fund which gives College scholarships the Lionel Hampton Community development corporation added Money to government Money to build fhe Low income Gladys Hampton houses named Lor his late wite and Lionel Hampton houses in Harlem and Middle income Hampton Hills in Newark. Monday. May 16, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17