John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942 in New York City) is an American singer and musician. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as John Hammond Jr.

Background

Hammond is a son of record producer and talent scout John H. Hammond and his first wife, Jemison McBride, an actress. He is a descendant of

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

, the patriarch of the prominent

Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...

, through his paternal grandmother Emily Vanderbilt Sloane Hammond. He has a brother, Jason, and a stepsister, (Esme) Rosita Sarnoff, the daughter of his father's second wife, Esme O'Brien Sarnoff. Hammond's middle name, Paul, is in honor of a friend of his father, the actor

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplish ...

. The younger Hammond was raised by his mother and saw his father only a few times a year while growing up. He began playing guitar in high school, partially inspired by the album '' Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall''. He attended

Antioch College Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1852 as a non-sectarian institution; politician and education reformer Horace Mann was its ...

for one year but dropped out to pursue a music career. By the mid-1960s he was touring nationally and living in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

. He befriended and recorded with many electric blues musicians in New York, including

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. H ...

's New Hawks (later known as the Band), Mike Bloomfield,

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

, and

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

Career

Hammond usually plays acoustically, choosing National Reso-Phonic Guitars, and sings in a barrelhouse style. Since 1962, when he made his debut on

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

, he has made thirty-four albums. In the 1990s he began recording on the Point Blank Records label. His 1963 debut album, ''John Hammond'', was one of the first blues albums by a white artist. Hammond has earned one

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

and been nominated for four others. He also provided the soundtrack for the 1970 film '' Little Big Man'', starring

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

. Although critically acclaimed, Hammond has received only moderate commercial success. Nonetheless, he enjoys a strong fan base and has earned respect from

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often in ...

Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

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, Mike Bloomfield and

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, all of whom have contributed their musical talents to his records. In addition, he is the only person who ever had both

and

in his band at the same time, if only for five days in the 1960s, when Hammond played The Gaslight Cafe in New York City. To his regret, they never recorded together. It has been suggested that Hammond deserves some credit for helping boost The Band to wider recognition. He recorded with several members of The Band in 1965 and recommended them to

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, with whom they undertook a famed and tumultuous world tour. John Hammond JR

Hammond hosted the 1991 UK television documentary '' The Search for Robert Johnson'', detailing the life of the legendary

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of th ...

man

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

. Hammond has had a longstanding friendship with the songwriter

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

and has performed Waits' songs on occasion. In 2001, he released ''Wicked Grin'', an album consisting entirely of Waits compositions, with one exception, the traditional spiritual, "I Know I've Been Changed". Waits played guitar and sang backing vocals on the album and was also its producer. In 2003, he released ''Ready for Love'', produced by David Hidalgo of

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cu ...

. It included a

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and

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song, " The Spider and the Fly". His 2009 album, entitled ''Rough & Tough'', was a 2010 nominee for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. In 2011, Hammond was inducted into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1 ...

of the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the ...

Personal life

Hammond married his first wife, Dana McDevitt, a daughter of John Burke McDevitt, on October 21, 1967. They later divorced. In 1991, Hammond married his second wife, Marla.

Discography

* 1963 ''John Hammond'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives f ...

) * 1964 ''Big City Blues'' (Vanguard) – includes the first blues-rock cover of Willie Dixon's " Back Door Man", later made famous by

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

. * 1964 ''Country Blues'' (Vanguard) * 1965 '' So Many Roads'' (Vanguard) * 1967 ''Mirrors'' (Vanguard) – reissued on Real Gone Music in 2016. * 1967 ''I Can Tell'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

) * 1968 ''Sooner or Later'' (Atlantic) – reissued on Water Music in 2002. * 1969 ''Southern Fried'' (Atlantic) – reissued on Water Music in 2002. * 1970 ''The Best of John Hammond'' (Vanguard) compilation * 1971 ''Source Point'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

) * 1971 ''Little Big Man / Original Soundtrack'' (Columbia) * 1972 ''I'm Satisfied'' (Columbia) * 1973 ''

Triumvirate A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

'' – with Mike Bloomfield and

(Columbia) * 1975 ''Can't Beat the Kid'' ( Capricorn) – reissued on Polygram in 1997. * 1976 ''John Hammond: Solo'' ive(Vanguard) * 1978 ''Footwork'' (Vanguard) * 1979 ''Hot Tracks'' – with

The Nighthawks The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. As of 2018, The Nighthawks are Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Dan Hovey (lead guitar), Paul Pisciotta (bass guitar), and Mark Stutso (drums). History F ...

(Vanguard) * 1980 ''Mileage'' (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

) * 1982 ''Frogs for Snakes'' (Rounder) * 1983 ''John Hammond Live'' (Rounder) * 1984 ''Spoonful'' (Edsel) – compilation * 1988 ''Nobody but You'' (

Flying Fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird d ...

) – reissued on Point Blank/Virgin in 1996. * 1992 ''Got Love if You Want It'' ( Point Blank/Virgin) * 1993 ''You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover'' (Vanguard) – compilation * 1994 ''Trouble No More'' (Point Blank/Virgin) * 1996 ''Found True Love'' (Point Blank/Virgin) * 1998 ''Long As I Have You'' (Point Blank/Virgin) * 2000 ''The Best of the Vanguard Years'' (Vanguard) – compilation * 2001 '' Wicked Grin'' (Point Blank/Virgin) * 2003 ''At the Crossroads: The Blues of Robert Johnson'' (Vanguard) – compilation * 2003 ''Ready for Love'' ( Back Porch/Narada) * 2005 ''In Your Arms Again'' (Back Porch/Narada) * 2006 ''Live in Greece'' ec. 1983(

Dynamic Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics) ** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air ** Analytical dyn ...

/MSI) * 2007 ''Push Comes to Shove'' (Back Porch/Narada) * 2009 ''Rough & Tough'' ( Chesky) * 2014 ''Timeless'' ive( Palmetto) * 2019 "You Know That's Cold" b/w "Come To Find Out" ranslucent Blue 7" Single(Need To Know) * 2020 "My Baby Loves To Boogie" and "Told You Once In August" (featuring

Rory Block Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949, in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Career Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan ...

) with Dion from '' Blues with Friends''

References

External links

John Hammond Biography, Live Performance Video, Interview

Official website for John Hammond

*

2007 Interview with NPR's Scott Simon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, John P. 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American male singers 1942 births American blues guitarists American blues harmonica players American blues singers American male guitarists American people of Dutch descent Antioch College alumni Chesky Records artists Contemporary blues musicians Grammy Award winners Guitarists from New York City Living people Palmetto Records artists Singers from New York City Slide guitarists John Paul Hammond