Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond playing a concert in Nuremberg (2013).
Background information
Birth name	Albert Louis Hammond, Jr.
Born	(1944-05-18) 18 May 1944 (age 72) London, England
Origin	Gibraltar
Genres	Pop rock, soft rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instruments	Guitar, piano, vocals
Years active	1960–present
Associated acts	The Family Dogg Duffy
Website	alberthammond.net

Albert Louis Hammond, Jr. OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer who grew up in the British Mediterranean territory of Gibraltar.

Hammond was born in London, England, which is where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. Shortly after his birth, they returned to Gibraltar, and it is there he grew up. In 1960, he started in music with Gibraltarian band The Diamond Boys, which had no real commercial success, but played a part in Spain's introduction to pop and rock music. The Diamond Boys performed at the first nightclubs in Madrid to stage modern bands, alongside Spanish rock and roll pioneers such as Miguel Ríos. In 1966 Hammond co-founded the British vocal group the Family Dogg, scoring a UK Top 10 hit with "A Way of Life" in 1969.

He also wrote songs for others with frequent collaborator Mike Hazlewood. These include "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee, "Make Me An Island" (1969) (which Hammond himself re-recorded in 1979, in a Spanish disco-style version), and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman" (1970) for Joe Dolan, "Gimme Dat Ding" for the Pipkins in 1970 (itself a cover from the Freddie and the Dreamers album, Oliver in the Overworld), "Good Morning Freedom" for Blue Mink, "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" for the Fortunes in 1971 and "The Air That I Breathe" which was a hit for the Hollies in 1974. In 1971. Hammond also sang on Michael Chapman's fourth album, Wrecked Again, and worked briefly with the Magic Lanterns on recordings of his and Hazlewood's songs and other material.