Fred Hammond

All Music Guide:

A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist for the soulful black gospel group Commissioned during the 1980s and '90s, Fred Hammond also became one of the most popular praise & worship leaders in the field. Born in Detroit, Hammond began singing with his church choir at the age of 12. He played bass and sang with the Winans during the early '80s, then joined Commissioned later in the decade, showcasing his superb arranging, production, and songwriting skill as well as his soaring vocals. Hammond's concurrent solo career began in 1991 with I Am Persuaded, and he released additional albums for Benson, gradually embracing an in-concert feel even on his studio recordings. His fifth studio album, Purpose by Design, was released under the Verity label in 2000. In Case You Missed It...and Then Some followed in 2001. Hammond set up his own label imprint, Hammond Family Entertainment, and released the CD/DVD set Life in the Word in 2010. God, Love & Romance followed in 2012.

Wikipedia:

Fred Hammond (born December 27, 1960. in Detroit, Michigan) is a gospel singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.

Musical career [edit]

Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist (currently for Verity Records). He is a multiple Grammy-, Dove-, Stellar- award winner and nominee as a performer, producer and writer.

Hammond first gained recognition while playing bass guitar for the gospel group The Winans. By 1985 he was one of the six original members of the group Commissioned, participating in 10 of the group's 12 albums.

After his stint with Commissioned ended, he regained fame in the gospel community after selling millions of albums with his musical group Radical For Christ.

In 2002 Hammond returned to the group Commissioned (now with members Keith Staten, Marvin Sapp, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, Michael Williams, and Marcus Cole) to produce the Commissioned Reunion Live album.

Hammond produced Make Me Like The Moon, a stirring gospel ballad co-written by Chanté Moore and Kenny Lattimore for their 2006 double-CD of gospel and R&B love songs entitled Uncovered/Covered (released October 10, 2006 by LaFace/Verity/Zomba Music Group). He also performs with Sean Combs on the album Thank You.

Discography [edit]

Albums [edit]

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Billboard chart history [edit]

Albums [edit]

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Personal life [edit]

Fred Hammond has two children that have appeared on his 2009 album, Love Unstoppable. Hammond was divorced from his wife of 17 years in 2004, and he currently resides in Cedar Hill, Texas.

Hammond revealed on the Donnie McClurkin Show that his mother confessed to him three months before she died that she had attempted to have him aborted. The procedure—done in 1960 before abortions were legal—failed. Hammond's mother returned for a second attempt but decided against the procedure ; Hammond was later born in December 1960.