70th birthday concert and death
On May 1, 2017, Hampton was honored by his friends at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta for his 70th birthday. Dubbed Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton, it was an all-star concert featuring Widespread Panic members John Bell, Dave Schools, Duane Trucks, and Jimmy Herring; blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis, Peter Buck of R.E.M, steel guitarist Darick Campbell, saxophone player Karl Denson, Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon, Jon Fishman of Phish, banjo player Rev. Jeff Mosier of Blueground Undergrass, guitarist Warren Haynes, Drivin N Cryin frontman Kevn Kinney, Atlanta jazz-staple Johnny Knapp, Chuck Leavell; Athens rock-troubadour T. Hardy Morris, 13-year-old guitar prodigy Brandon Niederauer, slide guitarist Derek Trucks and blues singer Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, 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, and MLB pitcher Jake Peavy. Billy Bob Thornton was scheduled to appear but did not attend.[17] The event was produced by Good Times Productions with the proceeds benefiting the Fox Theatre Institute and other musician-focused charities.
During the encore performance of the show, Hampton suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on stage. Onlookers and his fellow musicians initially either did not notice that Hampton had collapsed, or thought it was a ruse due to his history of falling down onstage during performances and other practical jokes. As a result, Hampton lay face down at Niederauer’s feet, his left arm draped over a stage monitor, as Niederauer soloed on “Turn on Your Love Light“. The band played for several minutes before Hampton was taken offstage; he died shortly thereafter at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta.