John Hammond Jr

To remain in the limelight for over three decades is not an easy feat for any artist but the legendary blues artist John Hammond Jr. has not only achieved that but he has provided a blueprint of how to do it.  He has played his part, a big one at that, to keep the classical blues of the 1950’s and the 1960’s alive. He is on tour once again and all you need are John Hammond Jr. tickets to catch this wonderful performer live.

John Hammond Jr. is among a small group of blues artists who were a part of the revival of the genre in the 1960’s. He was born on 13th November, 1942 in New York. His father was a famous record producer who had worked with a lot of big names of that time. His earliest introduction to music came during his high school days. It was during that time that he started to learn how to play a guitar. He had a special inclination towards the slide guitar playing technique and those lessons played a big part in taking his fascination to the next level.

John was a huge fan of Jimmy Reed and when he got the chance to watch his idol play at the Apollo Theater, his life changed forever. He went to study at the Antioch College but left after a year to kick start his music career. So by the time the mid 1960’s came around, he was hitting the road and playing in and around the Greenwich Village area. The reincarnation of folk music was getting bigger and bigger during that time and John started to make a name at the local music scene. His reputation began to bring his way a lot of attention and earned him an interview in the New York Times to bring him to the notice of the nation.

He earned his first recording contract in 1962 when he was signed up by Vanguard Records. The work he has done with other artists like Dr. John and the self-titled debut album show the true strength of the man. Over the years, his recordings have portrayed the diverse nature of his music and its unique essence. In 1966, John Hammond Jr. got the chance to meet Jimi Hendrix who was trying to make a name for himself in the industry.  Jimi came to Greenwich looking to land a job. John assembled a group for Jimi so that he could start playing at the coffee houses in the area. Jimi was approached by Chas Chandler at one of those stints and offered him the chance to go England to record. He turned to John for advice and being the visionary that he was, John Hammond Jr. told Jimi to take up the offer. That one piece of advice turned Hendrix into a superstar.

John went on working with various blues groups during most of the 1960’s and the early 1970’s. In total this amazing artist has come up with thirty-four albums and has won multiple award and accolades, including a Grammy, to rank among the biggest names to come out of blues.

Over a career spanning more than thirty years John Hammond Jr. has worked with the likes of The Band, Dr. John, David Bromberg, Duane Allman, Michael Bloomfield, Musselwhite, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Wyman and J.J. Cale. He is a multitalented artist who is still going as strong as ever. He is one of the biggest reasons blues is so revered and loved today. His amazing guitar and harmonica playing skills coupled with out of this world voice makes every concert of his a must attend event. You can catch him live by grabbing John Hammond Jr. tickets and enjoy the greatest blues hits of all time.