JON HAMMOND
Instruments: Organ, Accordion, Piano, Guitar
Attended: Berklee College of Music 1974, City College San Francisco
Languages: English, German
*Jon is currently Host of daily CBS radio program "Jon Hammond's Afternoon Slide" on KYCY 1550 AM. One-year Anniversary Aug. 1, 2006!
*Performing in Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Prisons every month in addition to concerts world-wide.
*Musician: Jon Hammond is one of the premier B3 PLAYERS in the world. Jon has played professionally since age 12. Beginning as a solo accordionist, he later played Hammond B3 organ in a number of important San Francisco bands. His all original group HADES opened shows for Tower of Power, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Michael Bloomfield. Eddie Money and Barry Finnerty became musical associates.
Moving East he attended Berklee College of Music and played venues as diverse as Boston's "Combat Zone" in the striptease clubs during the '70's and the exclusive Wychmere Harbor Club in Cape Cod, where he was house organist and developed a lasting friendship with House Speaker Tip O'Niel. He also toured the Northeast and Canada with the successful show revue "Easy Living", and continued his appearances at nightclubs in Boston and New York. Subsequently Hammond lived and traveled in Europe, where he has an enthusiastic following.
*TV/Video Producer: In 1981 Jon formed BackBeat Productions. Assisted by Lori Friedman (Video by LORI), the innovative TV show "The Jon Hammond Show" became a Manhattan Cable TV favorite. Jon's "Live on the street" video style included news events, as well as live music/video clips of Dizzy Gillespie, Paul Butterfield, Jaco Pastorius, John Entwistle, Sammy Davis Jr., Percy Sledge and many others. The weekly show is now in it's 23rd year and has influenced the broadcasts of David Letterman and others. Billboard Magazine hailed Jon's show as "The Alternative to MTV". The Jon Hammond Show can be seen worldwide at various times streaming from www.mnn.org and on channels 56 and 108 in Manhattan.
*Media Personality: Host and narrator of his TV show, as well as co-host of numerous radio broadcasts, Jon has defined a musical and personal style that is unmistakeable. As Musical Director, Producer and Host of The Jon Hammond Show, Mr. Hammond formed a unique multi-media music group.
