Al Hirt - Songs

ABOUT

Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 - April 27, 1999) was a renowned virtuoso trumpeter and bandleader with a vibrant, jazzy style who became famous during the 1960s. Best known for his smash instrumental cover of the Allen Toussaint-penned "Java" (1964), which topped the Adult Contemporary chart and made the Pop/Rock Top 5, other big hits include the swinging "Cotton Candy" (1964) and the upbeat "Sugar Lips" (1964). Hirt's mastery of his instrument is best showcased in the frenzied theme to "The Green Hornet," a jazz adaptation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight Of The Bumblebee" which captures the excitement and intrigue of the late 1960s TV action series.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Hirt began playing the trumpet at age six and was performing professionally by 16 while still in high school. After studying at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he served as a bugler in the U.S. Army during World War II and went on to play with a number of famous big bands, including those led by Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Ina Ray Hutton, and Horace Heidt, before leading his own orchestras. A prolific recording artist, he released a long string of albums that includes "Honey In The Horn" (1963), which spawned the Grammy-winning million-seller smash, "Java."

Al Hirt made frequent TV appearances throughout the 1960s and in 1965, he hosted his own TV variety show, "Fanfare." Other performance highlights include playing at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration and a concert at Carnegie Hall which was recorded on the album, "Live At Carnegie Hall" (1965). A beloved musical icon in New Orleans, he owned and operated a nightclub on Bourbon Street through the early 1980s and continued to perform actively over the years, with his most memorable shows including one he gave for Pope John Paul II during his visit to the city in 1987. Hirt was inducted posthumously into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

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Al Hirt

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