MUSICAL SEND-OFF
Eccentric singer collapses, dies during birthday concert finale
ATLANTA When Col. Bruce Hampton slowly fell to his knees during the finale of his star-studded birthday concert, fans and musicians alike thought it was another one of his quirky performance acts.
Fourteen-year-old guitar phenom Brandon (Taz) Niederauer tore into a blistering solo as the 70-year-old man lay motionless at his feet, his arm draped over a speaker.
For several more minutes, dozens of musicians — including John Popper of Blues Traveler, Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers Band and John Bell of Widespread Panic — jammed away to one of Hampton’s favourite songs Turn On Your Love Light. The fans danced and the musicians smiled as they waited for him to get up. But Col. Bruce never did. The eccentric guitarist and singer known as the forefather of the jam band scene died after collapsing Monday night at the end of the show billed by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre as Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton. He had turned 70 a day earlier.
Drummer Jeff Sipe said Hampton made eye contact with him and grinned moments before he went down.
“I think he was smiling goodbye,” Sipe said. He noted that Hampton had a heart attack in 2006 and was taking numerous medications while keeping up a rigorous touring schedule. A nurse told him that even if the musicians had responded immediately, he would not have been revived.
Hampton founded several bands, including the Hampton Grease Band and the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and had a knack for surrounding himself with talented musicians. Friends described him as a father figure, a spiritual guru and a crazy uncle.
While wealth and fame eluded him, he was widely acknowledged as an influence on other leading musicians. Hampton was also an actor and played the role of a songwriting band manager in Billy Bob Thornton’s 1996 film Sling Blade.
Born Gustav Berglund III in Knoxville, Tenn. on April 30, 1947, he changed his name to Col. Bruce Hampton as an adult and started his career with Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, appearing on We’re Only in It for the Money in 1967 and Lumpy Gravy in 1968.
After he fell to his knees and people began to realize it was no stunt, the band abruptly ended the song and a hush fell over the crowd.
“We’re going to take care of business backstage here,” Sipe said. “Thank you so much. We love you so much. Thanks for honouring Bruce Hampton on his 70th.”
As paramedics loaded Hampton into an ambulance, fans shouted “Brrruuuccccee” as they had done throughout the night.
Hampton showed no sign anything was amiss before his collapse. He appeared on stage early in the four-hour night, conducting and singing with a band. Later, he played and sang several tunes, including I’m So Glad as well as Fixin’ to Die, a song he had performed many times before. This time, though, the lyrics turned out to be prophetic: Feeling funny in my mind, Lord I believe I’m fixing to die Well, I don’t mind dying But I hate to leave my children crying.