Fred Hammond

Biography

Frederick William Hammond (born December 27, 1960) is an American gospel singer, bass guitar player, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most popular figures in contemporary gospel music. He is known for using a variety of different styles in his music such as R&B, hip-hop, and disco.

Musical career

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, and 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 time 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 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 unreleased album, Thank You.

BET Awards

The BET Awards are awarded annually by the Black Entertainment Television network. Hammond has received 8 nominations.

Dove Awards

The Dove Awards are awarded annually by the Gospel Music Association. Hammond has received 9 awards from 34 nominations and has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Hammond has received 1 award from 15 nominations.

NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP Image Awards are awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hammond has received 7 nominations.

Soul Train Awards

The Soul Train Music Awards are awarded annually. Hammond has received 5 nominations.

Stellar Awards

The Stellar Awards are awarded annually by SAGMA. Hammond has received 9 awards from 58 nominations.

Personal life

Hammond has two children who have appeared on his 2009 album, Love Unstoppable. Hammond divorced his wife of 18 years, Kim, 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 tried to get an abortion when she was pregnant with him, and 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.
According to Fred Hammond in an interview with Tim Ross, his father is Bishop Charles Watkins (now deceased), a former gospel artist and a former full bishop in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana)
Hammond is an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity