Buster Hemphill was born in Jackson, Mississippi and started playing bass at age 14. After stints in local and school ensembles, he headed for Belmont University in Nashville armed with a scholarship and determined to study music composition and arranging. At Belmont he studied with highly regarded bassists Roy Vogt and Jim Ferguson.

After doing a few sessions, leading an R&B group, and playing locally with assorted jazzers, singer-songwriters, and gospel groups, Hemphill realized that Nashville’s lack of musical diversity wasn’t going to sustain his interest in the long run.

Eventually, Buster relocated to New York and began working steadily in various genres. Initially finding work as part of the house band at Club 101, Buster freelanced locally and began working as a sideman with vintage rock and rollers Shirley Reeves (Shirelles) and Bobby Rydell. By 1998, he had landed a tour with Vonda Shepard, on the recommendation of Late Show with David Letterman guitarist Felicia Collins. They toured North America and made network TV appearances in support of the platinum Songs from Ally McBeal. After returning, he hooked up with Collins and joined her power trio, recording and eventually appearing at NAMM ’99 in L.A. with Chaka Khan.

2000 found Buster playing with the Harlem Gospel Choir (featured in U2's Rattle and Hum), and serving as musical director. They maintained a hectic pace, recording, playing top venues and festivals in Europe and Latin America, and doing a weekly gig at B.B. King’s in New York.

Then, as now, Buster could be found working on many projects simultaneously, playing around New York 5 or 6 nights a week with noted artists of every conceivable style, and appearing on several recordings.

In 2001, Hemphill was tapped to perform as part of the Duke Ellington Legacy foundation, a group of musicians whose performances aim to educate the public on the work of the jazz legend.

The next two years brought an even greater number of ever-more-diverse artists and projects into the picture, all bearing the stamp of Buster’s musical contributions. Early in 2002, he began working with pianist/composer Misha Piatigorsky, as the bassist in his off-Broadway production of “Mister.” It was a relationship that would continue and encompass several other projects, including Buster’s appearance on two cuts from jazz singer Judy Bady’s recording, Blackbird. Since its release in 2004, the record has won praise from all of the major jazz publications (Downbeat, et. al) and is currently receiving airplay nationwide.

Late 2002 found Buster in the band of Brazilian chanteuse Mariani Ebert, maintaining a weekly gig at the renowned Zinc Bar (NY), and eventually touring Australia (Feb. 2004) in association with the Perth International Arts Festival. During this time, he also appeared and recorded with Rockapella founder Sean Altman, who had gone solo with his formidable vocal and songwriting talents.

2003-2005 were busy years that included gigs with Felicia Collins (with guest stars including Ashford & Simpson, James “D-Train” Williams, and more) and many of the artists with whom Buster had already been associated, plus work with Daphne Rubin-Vega (star of Rent, Tony-nominated, and star of other Broadway productions as well as film and TV). Buster did many live dates with Rubin-Vega, as well as playing on every track of her album Redemption Songs. During this two-year period, Hemphill began serving as bassist and musical director for Camp Lo, a rap duo with an international cult following based on the success of their Uptown Saturday Night disc.

2006-2008 have been chock full of a diverse array of musical contexts. Buster appeared on Broadway playing bass in Three ‘Mo Tenors and with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, with his own group at New York’s Blue Note, on record with Stevvi Alexander (of Sheryl Crow’s band, and many others), Ramon Taranco, Daphne Rubin-Vega, on a host of yet to be released albums (including Roy Ayers, In The Light, David Joseph), and live with scores of artists (everyone from Altman to Camp Lo to MBD), most recently up-and-coming rappers MeterMaids. A tour of the Carribbean in May ’09 is set for In The Light, and in the works are a summer festival tour with MeterMaids/The Lo, and a trio tour of Russia in early 2010 with Piatigorsky.