Johnny "Hammond" Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny "Hammond" Smith
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Smith in the 1970s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Robert Smith |
| Also known as | Johnny Hammond |
| Born | December 16, 1933 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1997 (aged 63) Victorville, California |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Organ |
John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (born December 16, 1933 – died June 4, 1997) was an American musician. He was known for playing the Hammond B-3 organ. This is how he got his nickname "Hammond." He played soul jazz and hard bop music. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His nickname also helped people not confuse him with jazz guitarist Johnny Smith.
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Johnny Hammond's Musical Journey
Johnny Smith played with other musicians like Paul Williams and Chris Columbo. Later, he started his own music groups. Famous singers like Etta Jones and Byrdie Green sang with his bands. Saxophone players Houston Person and Earl Edwards also joined him.
His career really took off when he played alongside singer Nancy Wilson. Years later, he even wrote a song called "Quiet Fire" for her 1988 album, Nancy Now!.
Signing with New Labels
For about ten years in the 1960s, Johnny Smith released many albums with Prestige Records. In 1971, he signed with Kudu. This was a record label known for soul and R&B music. It was part of Creed Taylor's famous CTI Records jazz label.
His first album for Kudu was Break Out. This album helped launch the Kudu label. A musician named Grover Washington Jr. played on this album. He later became a very successful solo artist. After this, Johnny Smith decided to call himself "Johnny Hammond." He dropped "Smith" from his name.
Changing Music Style
Johnny Hammond's music style started to become more "funky." He changed his sound to fit new music trends. He made two very popular albums with the Mizell Brothers. These were Gambler's Life (1974) and Gears (1975).
He also started using electric and acoustic pianos. This was in addition to his main instrument, the Hammond organ.
Music in Games and Covers
One of Johnny Hammond's songs, "Shifting Gears," became very popular. It was featured on a music collection called Ultimate Breaks and Beats. The song was also used in the 2006 video game Driver: Parallel Lines. Another one of his songs, "Conquistadores Chocolates," was covered by the band BadBadNotGood. This cover was featured in the video game GTA: The Cayo Perico Heist.
Teaching Music
Johnny Smith also taught music for several years. He taught at the Cal Poly Pomona music department. He started teaching there in January 1987.
He passed away in Victorville, California, at the age of 63. He died from cancer.
Johnny Hammond's Albums
Here are some of the albums Johnny "Hammond" Smith released as the main artist:
- Have You Heard (1958)
- Imagination (1959)
- All Soul (1959)
- That Good Feelin' (1959)
- Talk That Talk (1960) - with Oliver Nelson
- Stimulation (1961) - with Freddie McCoy
- Gettin' the Message (1960) - with Lem Winchester
- Johnny "Hammond" Cooks with Gator Tail (1962) - with Willis Jackson
- Look Out! (1962) - with Seldon Powell
- Black Coffee [live] (1962) - with Seldon Powell
- Mr. Wonderful (1963) - with Houston Person
- Open House! (1963) - with Thad Jones, Seldon Powell
- A Little Taste (1963) - with Virgil Jones, Houston Person
- The Stinger (1965) - with Houston Person, Floyd Smith
- Opus De Funk (1961 [released 1966]) - with Freddie McCoy
- The Stinger Meets the Golden Thrush (1966) - with Byrdie Green
- Love Potion #9 (1966) - with Virgil Jones
- Gettin' Up (1967) - with Virgil Jones, Houston Person
- Soul Flowers (1967) - with Houston Person
- Dirty Grape (1968) - with Houston Person
- Nasty! (1968) - with Houston Person, John Abercrombie, Grady Tate
- Soul Talk (1969) - with Rusty Bryant, Bernard Purdie
- Black Feeling! (1969) - with Virgil Jones, Rusty Bryant
- Here It 'Tis (1970) - with Houston Person, Bernard Purdie
- What's Going On (1971) - with Grover Washington Jr.
- Breakout (1971)
- Wild Horses Rock Steady (1971)
- The Prophet (1972)
- Higher Ground (1973)
- Gambler's Life (1974)
- Gears (1975)
- Forever Taurus (1976)
- Storm Warning (1977)
- Don't Let The System Get You (1978)
Albums as a Guest Musician
Johnny Hammond also played on albums for other artists:
- With Gene Ammons:
- Velvet Soul (1964)
- Angel Eyes (1965)
- With Billy Butler:
- Night Life (1971)
- With Chris Columbus:
- Jazz: Re-Discovering Old Favorites (1962)
- With Byrdie Green:
- The Golden Thrush Strikes at Midnight (1966)
- I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (1967)
- Sister Byrdie! (1968)
- With Oliver Nelson:
- Taking Care of Business (1960)
- With Sylvia Syms:
- For Once in My Life (1967)
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Hammond para niños
