Shelton Hemphill

Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (March 16, 1906 – January 6, 1960) was an American jazz trumpeter whose career lasted from the mid 1920s through the late 1950s.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Hemphill was still in his teens when he played in the band of Fred Longshaw, which accompanied Bessie Smith on recordings in 1924–25. Also in 1924, at age 18, he enrolled at Wilberforce University in Ohio, and was a member of Horace Henderson's student band alongside Ted and Castor McCord. He moved to New York City late in the 1920s, where he played with Benny Carter and Chick Webb before joining the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, playing with this group from 1931 to 1937. He was in Louis Armstrong's band from 1937 to 1944 and Duke Ellington's from 1944 to 1949. In the 1950s, he played occasionally in New York City but left music due to mounting health problems later in the decade.

Shelton Hemphill died in New York City two months and ten days before his 54th birthday. His demise, along with that of blues singer Gladys Bentley, who died twelve days later, was noted in the syndicated column of music critic Ralph J. Gleason.

He is the father of Barry Shelton Hemphill, who spent a career as a vocal artist in the US Army Chorus, retiring at the rank of E-9. Barry Hemphill was also the Artistic Director of The Metropolitan Chorus in Arlington Virginia for 38 years (1977-2015), and has been the Conductor of the renowned Kennedy Center Messiah Sing along every December 23 in Washington, DC, for over 20 years.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1906 (Birmingham), Died December, 1959 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1946

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, cornet

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 88 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D6VB-2117 10-in. 8/26/1946 Beale Street blues Duke Ellington Orchestra Piano solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2126 10-in. 9/3/1946 My honey's lovin' arms Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Ray Nance Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2129 10-in. 9/3/1946 St. Louis blues Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2130 10-in. 9/3/1946 Swamp fire Duke Ellington Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D6VB-2131 10-in. 9/3/1946 Royal garden blues Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Duke Ellington Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia W141369 10-in. 12/9/1925 At the Christmas ball Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Columbia W141370 10-in. 12/9/1925 Lonesome desert blues Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Columbia W141373 10-in. 12/9/1925 Squeeze me Bessie Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano instrumentalist, cornet  
Decca 62328 10-in. 7/2/1937 Public melody number one Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62329 10-in. 7/2/1937 Yours and mine Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62330 10-in. 7/2/1937 Red cap Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62335 10-in. 7/7/1937 She's the daughter of a planter from Havana Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62336 10-in. 7/7/1937 Alexander's ragtime band Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62337 10-in. 7/7/1937 Cuban Pete Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62338 10-in. 7/7/1937 I've got a heart full of rhythm Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 62339 10-in. 7/7/1936 Sun showers Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63775 10-in. 5/13/1938 So little time Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63776 10-in. 5/13/1938 Mexican swing Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63777 10-in. 5/13/1938 As long as you live Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63778 10-in. 5/13/1938 When the Saints go marchin' in Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63809 10-in. 5/18/1938 on the sentimentccl side Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63810 10-in. 5/18/1938 It's wonderful Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63811 10-in. 5/18/1938 Something tells me Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 63812 10-in. 5/18/1938 Love walked in Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 64907 10-in. 1/18/1939 Jeepers creepers Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 26-50 of 88 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hemphill, Shelton," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407.

Hemphill, Shelton. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407.

"Hemphill, Shelton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/204407

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