John Henry Hammond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hammond
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Hammond in 1940
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John Henry Hammond II
December 15, 1910 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | July 10, 1987 (aged 76) |
| Burial place | Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum, Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | Music producer |
| Known for | Columbia Records |
| Spouse(s) | Jemison "Jemy" McBride (1941–1948) Esme O'Brien Sarnoff (1949–1986 (her death)) |
| Children | John P. Hammond Jason Hammond |
| Parent(s) | John Henry Hammond Emily Vanderbilt Sloane |
| Relatives | William Henry Vanderbilt (great grandfather) Ogden H. Hammond (uncle) Millicent Fenwick (cousin) |
| Awards | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
John Henry Hammond Jr. (born December 15, 1910 – died July 10, 1987) was an American record producer, civil rights activist, and music critic. He worked from the 1930s to the early 1980s. As a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most important people in 20th-century popular music. He was the father of blues musician John P. Hammond.
Hammond helped start or boost the careers of many famous musicians. These include Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He also helped bring back the music of delta blues artist Robert Johnson.
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Who Was John Hammond?
John Henry Hammond Jr. was born in New York City on December 15, 1910. He was the youngest child and only son of John Henry Hammond and Emily Vanderbilt Sloane. His mother's family, the Vanderbilts, was very wealthy. Even with this family wealth, his father worked hard as a banker and lawyer.
John had four sisters: Emily, Adele, Rachel, and Alice. His sister Alice later married the famous musician Benny Goodman.
Early Life and Music Love
From a young age, John loved music. He started playing piano at four and violin at eight. His mother wanted him to like classical music. But John was more interested in the lively music played by the family's black servants. He would often go to the basement to listen to their upbeat songs.
In 1923, on a trip to London, John first heard jazz music. He saw a white jazz group and an African American show with Sidney Bechet. This trip completely changed his view of music. When he returned to the U.S., he looked for records by black musicians. He found that this music was sold in different stores, so he started exploring Harlem to find it.
Education and Discoveries
John went to St. Bernard's School and then Hotchkiss School. He convinced his school to let him visit New York City often. He used this time to go to Harlem and listen to jazz. He said he heard Bessie Smith perform there.
In 1929, John started attending Yale University. He studied violin and viola. However, he felt out of place at Yale. He often traveled to New York City and wrote for music magazines. In 1931, he left Yale to work in the music industry. He became the U.S. reporter for Melody Maker, a music paper.
John Hammond's Career in Music
In 1931, John Hammond paid for pianist Garland Wilson to record music. This was the start of his successful career as a record producer. He moved to Greenwich Village and worked to create a music world where everyone, no matter their race, could play together. He started one of the first regular live jazz radio shows.
He wrote about how music should not have a "color line." He believed that showing the amazing talent of Black musicians in jazz was a powerful way to fight for fairness. In 1941, he even helped start the Council on African Affairs.
Radio and Early Recordings
In 1932, Hammond got a job as a disc jockey at the WEVD radio station. He played all kinds of music and had full freedom as long as he paid for his time slot. This made him known as a knowledgeable jazz fan. Famous musicians like Fletcher Henderson and Benny Carter were guests on his show. When the station moved, the new place would not let Black musicians use the main elevator. Because of this unfair rule, Hammond quit his job at WEVD.
From 1932 to 1933, Hammond helped the American Columbia record label. He arranged for them to record many jazz artists like Fletcher Henderson and Benny Goodman. This was during the Great Depression, when many musicians might not have had the chance to record otherwise.
Breaking Barriers in Music
In 1934, Hammond helped introduce Benny Goodman to Fletcher Henderson. He encouraged musicians to play jazz in a free, "swing" style, like the original New Orleans Jazz.
Hammond always wanted to see racial integration in music. He often visited musicians in Harlem to connect with them. His friendship with Benny Carter helped him gain trust in the Black music community.
He helped organize Benny Goodman's band and convinced Goodman to hire Black musicians. These included Charlie Christian, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton. In 1933, he discovered seventeen-year-old Billie Holiday singing in Harlem. He arranged for her first recording with Benny Goodman. Four years later, he heard the Count Basie orchestra and brought them to New York, where they became famous.
Concerts and Discoveries
In 1938, Hammond put together the first From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall. This concert showed many different kinds of music, including blues, jazz, and gospel. Artists like Ida Cox, Big Joe Turner, and the Count Basie orchestra performed. He organized a second concert in 1939.
After serving in the military during World War II, Hammond returned to Columbia Records in the late 1950s. He signed Pete Seeger and Babatunde Olatunji. He also discovered Aretha Franklin, who was then an eighteen-year-old gospel singer.
In 1961, he heard folk singer Bob Dylan playing harmonica. Hammond signed Dylan to Columbia, even though some executives thought it was a bad idea. He produced Dylan's early recordings, like "Blowin' in the Wind".
"What I wanted to do with Bobby was just to get him to sound in the studio as natural, just as he was in person, and have that extraordinary personality come thru.... After all, he's not a great harmonica player, and he's not a great guitar player, and he's not a great singer. He just happens to be an original. And I just wanted to have that originality come through."
Hammond also helped re-release the music of Robert Johnson after Johnson's death. He convinced Columbia Records to release the album King of the Delta Blues Singers in 1961. Other musicians Hammond signed include Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen.
Hammond retired from Columbia in 1975 but kept looking for new talent. In 1983, he brought guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan to Columbia. He was an executive producer on Vaughan's first album.
John Hammond's Impact on Music Integration
John Hammond saw that jazz music came from African-American culture. When he started working in jazz, Black and white musicians rarely played together. Also, many famous venues only allowed white audiences. Hammond remembered that before the 1920s, Black musicians could always find jobs, even if they didn't pay much. Later, a musicians' union called Local 802 formed, and Hammond noticed more white people getting jobs than Black people. Still, Black musicians continued to perform through shows and recordings.
1933 was a very important year for Hammond. He made connections with British record companies and helped many musicians get recording contracts. He was a good producer for these companies because he didn't want to make a profit for himself. In 1933, he helped Benny Goodman get a record deal with Columbia Records. Hammond suggested that Goodman make a multi-racial record, but Goodman was worried it would hurt his career.
In that same year, Hammond became a talent scout after hearing Billie Holiday sing. He was amazed by her voice and helped her join the Benny Goodman Orchestra. He wrote that she was "incredibly beautiful, and sings as well as anybody I have ever heard."
Later in 1933, he heard Teddy Wilson, a jazz pianist. Hammond helped Wilson get important opportunities, including playing with Billie Holiday.
Mixing races in recordings became very important for jazz music. Starting in 1935, musicians began to record in mixed-race groups. While some of this had happened before, Hammond helped make it more open. In 1935, the Goodman Trio began recording. In 1936, the group performed live in Chicago. Hammond remembered this as a groundbreaking moment in jazz history.
Personal Life and Family
In 1940, John Hammond met Jemison "Jemy" McBride. They married on March 8, 1941. In November 1942, their first son, John P. Hammond, was born.
In 1942, John's sister Alice married Benny Goodman. John and Goodman had many arguments about music. Their different backgrounds also caused problems. Hammond could be very strong-willed in his opinions. However, after Alice died in 1978, Hammond and Goodman became friends again.
In 1943, Hammond joined the military during World War II. He was older than most soldiers and found military life difficult. While he was in training, his wife Jemy gave birth to their second son, Douglas, in 1944. Sadly, Douglas died shortly after birth from an illness. Jemy had to go through this tragedy without her husband.
After basic training, Hammond was assigned to organize activities for Black soldiers. At that time, the military was still segregated. Hammond put together concerts for the soldiers featuring Black musicians. He noticed that soon after, an integrated sports team formed.
In 1946, Hammond left the military. His family moved to Greenwich Village, and their third son, Jason, was born. Hammond focused heavily on his work, which upset his wife. In 1948, Jemy asked for a divorce, and Hammond agreed.
A year later, in 1949, Hammond married Esme Sarnoff. Esme shared his love for music. Hammond's father passed away around this time.
In 1985, Hammond had his first stroke. His wife Esme died on May 19, 1986, from complications of AIDS, which she got from a blood transfusion. Hammond was very sad after her death. He died on July 10, 1987, after more strokes. It is said he died listening to Billie Holiday's music.
John Hammond's Legacy
"John's Idea" is a song by Count Basie that was a tribute to John Hammond.
Hammond received a Grammy Trustees Award in 1971 for helping with a Bessie Smith music re-release. In 1986, he was the very first person to receive the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hammond's son, John P. Hammond, became a well-known American blues musician.
John Hammond was one of the first people to help bring racial integration to the American music industry. Even before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, he worked to make music fair for everyone.
In December 2015, Guinness featured Hammond in a UK advertisement.
Prince's song "Avalanche" mentions Hammond in its lyrics.
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See also
In Spanish: John H. Hammond para niños
