Al Hirt

Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt, born on November 7, 1922 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an American trumpeter and bandleader. At age six, he received his first trumpet and began playing professionally by sixteen, often with friend Pete Fountain. Hirt studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and served as a bugler in the United States Army during World War II. Post-war, he performed with various swing big bands, including those led by Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Ina Ray Hutton. Hirt's career took off in the 1950s when he became first trumpet and featured soloist with Horace Heidt's Orchestra. He signed with RCA Victor and released several albums that charted on Billboard, including Honey in the Horn and Cotton Candy, both top sellers for 1964. That year, Hirt also scored a hit single with his cover of "Java", which won a Grammy Award. His theme music for The Green Hornet showcased his technical prowess. In the mid-1950s to early 1960s, Hirt and his band played nightly at Dan's Pier 600. He opened his own club, Basin St. South, in 1962, and became a minority owner of the NFL expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967. Hirt hosted the television variety series Fanfare in 1965 and performed at Super Bowl IV halftime show on January 11, 1970. He passed away on April 27, 1999, from liver failure.