Col. Bruce Hampton

Bruce Hampton was born (or hatched if you had asked him) Gustav Valentine Berglund III on April 30, 1947 at the Oak Ridge nuclear facility in Knoxville, TN, with three birth certificates. In the late 1960s he was a founding member of Atlanta, Georgia's avant-garde Hampton Grease Band. Adopting the moniker Col. Bruce Hampton Ret., and sometimes playing a sort of dwarf guitar called a "chazoid," he formed several bands, including The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Fiji Mariners, The Code Talkers, Pharaoh Gummitt, and more. He was known for his charismatic, eccentric style and was widely regarded as the granddaddy of the jam-band scene. Hampton was a mentor to many musicians, with a keen eye and ear for talent. His musical influences on groups like Phish, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band and countless more is immeasurable, but his Mad Hatter charm, storytelling and dedication to aiding young musicians’ careers will perhaps be the most lasting elements of his legacy.