Pete George Hampton (August 7, 1871 – March 16, 1916)[1] was an American vocalist, harmonicist, banjo player, and vaudevillian from Bowling Green, Kentucky.

[4] In 1903, the group went on touring the United Kingdom, where Hampton fell in love with Laura Bowman, a fellow troupe member, with whom he engaged in a common-law marriage.

[3] After the original company broke up, Hampton and Bowman, instead of joining the new one, decided to form the Darktown Entertainers quartet with singers Will Garland and Fred Douglas.

[5] He toured with the company in many European countries including Germany, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland, and Russia, playing a variety of musical styles.

[8] Many of his recordings are in the minstrel tradition of the African Americans in which he was raised, such as "When You Die You Are a Long Time Dead" a "jumpy and swinging tune" among others of Hampton's compositions inspired by gospel and camp songs.