Atlanta’s legendary surrealist musician and icon Col. Bruce Hampton will celebrate his 70th birthday with Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton, on Monday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, with proceeds benefiting the Fox Theatre Institute and other musician-focused charities. Joined by an all-star lineup of musicians, this once-in-a-lifetime event will feature collaborations by Col. Bruce’s friends and admirers as they come together to honor and pay tribute to his music and life.
Tickets go on sale starting Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $75, $125, plus applicable fees, are available online at FoxTheatre.org, by calling (855) 285-8499, or by visiting the Fox Theatre Box Office.
Scheduled to appear at Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton’s are Widespread Panic members John Bell, Dave Schools, Duane Trucks and Jimmy Herring, Peter Buck of R.E.M, steel-guitar-man Darick Campbell, renowned saxophone player Karl Denson, Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon, Jon Fishman of Phish, banjo-shredder Rev. Jeff Mosier, guitar god Warren Haynes, Drivin’ N Cryin’ front man Kevn Kinney, Atlanta jazz-staple Johnny Knapp, Chuck Leavell of The Allman Brothers Band and The Rolling Stones, Athens rock-troubadour T. Hardy Morris, 13-year old guitar prodigy Brandon Niederauer, John Popper of Blues Traveler, funk bassist Kevin Scott, keyboardist Matt Slocum, Denny Walley of Frank Zappa fame, gypsy-metal guitarist Emil Werstler, Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers, the Colonel’s Sling Blade co-star and Oscar- award winning actor Billy Bob Thornton plus Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, and more special guests to be announced soon (lineup subject to change).
Fondly called the “Granddaddy of the Jam Scene” for decades, Col. Bruce Hampton is a legend in jam music whose impact on the scene is insurmountable. From his beginnings with the groundbreaking avant-garde group the Hampton Grease Band to the seminal Aquarium Rescue Unit, his idiosyncratic blend of improvisational space rock has an influence that reaches far beyond Atlanta’s music clubs. He is one of live jam music’s most recognizable and respected players and this event will see many of his frequent collaborators and friends joining to honor his life and achievements.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to celebrate the musical accomplishments and contributions of Col. Bruce Hampton, and we could not think of a more appropriate place to host such a party than the most iconic venue in the state,” said Matthew Wilson of Good Times Productions. “Much like Col. Bruce, venues like the Fox Theatre are sacred and they should be honored and protected. We are humbled and privileged to be part of such a great show, joined by so many of Bruce’s wonderful friends to celebrate the 70th birthday of a real life Georgia legend, and simultaneously helping to give life to other arts centers around the state that Bruce has called home for 70 years.”
“We are truly honored to host Hampton 70, celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton’s life and work,” said Adina Erwin, Fox Theatre’s Vice President and COO. “We were surprised and delighted to learn that the proceeds of the event are to benefit the Fox Theatre Institute as well as other music-minded organizations. The Fox Theatre Institute’s focus is to revitalize communities’ one theatre at a time, and with Col. Bruce’s generosity, we will be able to uplift the arts community and these vital historical structures. We are truly excited to be a partner with Col. Bruce Hampton, a music legend, on this historic event.”
The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) is a multi-layered outreach program created by the Fox Theatre to support Georgia’s arts community with a “pay it forward” philosophy. FTI programs include Fox in a Box, an interactive in-school program, Georgia Presenters, a statewide booking consortium, and the much-heralded Preservation Grant Program, which encourages the preservation of historic theatres by providing grant funds for the maintenance and physical improvement of theatres throughout the region. Grants are awarded to projects that provide significant economic and cultural impact to the communities they serve. Grant award winners also receive operations expertise and guidance through seminars and strategic planning, fostering professional development. For the past nine years, the Fox Theatre Institute has supported 15 preservation projects totaling more than $360,000 in grants; such recipients include the Miller Theater (Augusta), Douglass Theatre (Macon), Morton Theatre (Athens) and the Plaza Theatre (Atlanta). In 2017, the Fox Theatre will announce a revamped FTI program to include a dynamic grant award system with multifaceted opportunities for cultural centers to receive substantial financial assistance.
For more information on FTI, please visit FoxTheatreInstitute.org.
For more information and updates about Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton, please visit FoxTheatre.org/Hampton70.
