Fred Hammond American gospel musician Country: Suriname

Biography of Fred Hammond

Fred Hammond is an American gospel musician, born in 1961 in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in the outskirts of Detroit, where music and religion dominated, and he was raised in a devout family. At the age of twelve, Hammond began singing in the church choir. His childhood was not without struggles, as he admits to having stolen from a store and seeking forgiveness in church on Sundays.

As he grew older, Hammond learned to play the bass guitar and formed his own group at the age of seventeen. After serving in the army, Fred Hammond was inspired by his friends' Christian group, "The Winans," and in the late 1970s, he created the group "Testimonials." With the help of his cousins, Hammond recorded an album independently. Impressed by the professionalism of "The Winans," Fred joined them on tour, playing bass guitar and participating in backing vocals.

In 1982, striving for professional growth, Fred Hammond formed the group "Commissioned." In the 1980s, the group released several albums that blended urban music with Christian lyrics. They gained widespread recognition within evangelical circles. Hammond participated in the recording of ten albums with "Commissioned," and in 1990, the group received the "Gospel Music Association Dove" award for "Best Album of the Year."

Despite the success of "Commissioned," Fred Hammond decided to pursue a solo career in 1990. He formed the group "Radical For Christ," which accompanied him on all his performances. This group consisted of 12-15 members. In 1997, Hammond embarked on his largest tour, titled "Tour of Life," which took place in 70 cities across the United States and reached an audience of over 1.5 million people. He was constantly on tour for 30 weeks a year, performing at venues such as "Club 700," "Praise the Lord," "Pat Boone Show," and many others.

Throughout his over twenty-year musical career, Fred Hammond personally participated in or produced over 80 albums of Christian music, including albums with the group that made him famous, "The Winans." In 2002, he temporarily reunited with "Commissioned" to record the album "Commissioned Reunion Live," for which he also served as a producer.

Fred Hammond has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades from various Christian festivals and competitions. He has been recognized as the Artist of the Year, Vocalist of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. Fred Hammond is married to Kimberly, whom he wed in 1986, and they have two children together: daughter Bri-Ann and son Darius Sean. They currently reside in New York.