John Hammond, Grammy Award winner and key figure in Delta blues for more than sixty years, has died following a cardiac arrest. He leaves behind a monumental discography and an indelible mark on the world blues scene.
John Hammondthe Grammy Award-winning singer and guitarist whose prolific career celebrated the Delta blues for six decades, died Saturday, February 28 at the age of 83. His death was confirmed by musician and longtime collaborator Paul James, who said it was Hammond's wife, Marla, who told him the sad news. For his part, Billboard Canada reported that the artist had died of cardiac arrest.
“ The blues world has lost a giant. I lost my best friend “, confided Paul James. “ I just looked back at the photos we've shared over the years — from the Horseshoe Tavern to Toronto's Albert's Hall, from London to Montreal, from Edmonton to Ottawa — and each image tells a story of great music, great encounters and unforgettable nights. He was such an inspiration to me, I will miss him terribly. »
In the footsteps of a family legend
Hammond, also known as John P. Hammond or John Hammond Jr., was the son of pioneering producer and legendary talent scout John Henry Hammond Jr. Young Hammond began playing guitar in high school and dropped out of Antioch University in Ohio after only a short year to devote himself fully and professionally to music.
He signed with the prestigious Vanguard Records label in 1963. His eponymous debut album was full of covers of blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins and Robert Johnson, alongside classics like Chuck Berry's “Maybellene”.
A career marked by success and Grammys
Throughout his career, John Hammond has released more than 30 albums. In 1985, he won a Grammy Award for his memorable performance on the compilation Blues Explosionrecorded during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982. Many other nominations followed in later years, notably for his album Rough & Tough in 2009, which earned him a mention in the category of Best Traditional Blues Album. He also received Grammy accolades for his records. You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover (1993), Trouble No More (1994), Found True Love (1996), Long As I Have You (1998) and In Your Arms Again (1995).
In 2011, the ultimate accolade came when Hammond was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame by the Blues Foundation. George Thorogood, the leader of the Destroyers, paid tribute to the legacy of his colleague on social networks: “ For more than 50 years, John Hammond Jr. was an icon, a professional role model and, most importantly, a friend “, wrote Thorogood. “ As we mourn his passing, we celebrate what this man and his music meant to us, and to so many others. »
