Who is Fred Hammond? Fred Hammond is an American gospel singer, bassist, and producer born in 1960 in Detroit. A former member of the group Commissioned, he launched a solo career in 1991 marked by the group Radical for Christ, blending traditional gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. He has received a Grammy Award and nine Dove Awards.
Fred Hammond grew up in Detroit and started singing at age twelve in his church choir. He first made a name for himself as a bassist with The Winans before joining the group Commissioned in 1985, with whom he recorded ten albums. This group experience shaped his gift for vocal arrangement and his ability to blend styles, a signature he would go on to develop throughout his solo career.
In 1991, Fred Hammond launched his solo career with the album I Am Persuaded, while also founding the group Radical for Christ to carry his collective worship projects. Over the course of an extensive discography, he became one of the most awarded gospel artists of his generation, with a Grammy Award and nine Dove Awards, including induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He continues today to produce and mentor young gospel artists.
- Origine
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Style
- Urban gospel, blended with R&B, funk, and hip-hop
- Actif depuis
- 1985 with Commissioned, solo since 1991
- À connaître
- A Grammy Award and nine Dove Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
How did Fred Hammond get started?
Fred Hammond discovered music in his church choir in Detroit, which he joined at age twelve. He made a name for himself as a bassist and backing vocalist with The Winans before joining the group Commissioned in 1985. He took part in ten of the group's twelve albums, which became a landmark of contemporary gospel.
After Commissioned, Fred Hammond founded the group Radical for Christ to carry his own compositions, while also launching his solo career with the album I Am Persuaded in 1991. This double track, group and solo, allowed him to explore both congregational worship songs and more personal productions.
What makes Fred Hammond unique?
Fred Hammond is known for blending R&B, funk, and hip-hop influences into traditional gospel, without ever losing sight of his music's worship dimension. Songs like Yahweh and When the Spirit of the Lord, carried by sweeping choral arrangements, have become classics performed in countless African American churches and beyond.
A trained bassist, he brings a recognizable rhythmic foundation to his productions while also producing most of his albums himself. This dual skill as musician and producer partly explains the longevity of a career that began in the 1980s and remains active today.
Where to start discovering Fred Hammond?
Yahweh is a great entry point to discover the choral energy of his worship songs. Alright, released as an official music video, shows a more contemporary side of his music. When the Spirit of the Lord, recorded with Radical for Christ, remains one of the most performed songs in worship services.
songs
Yahweh
a worship song carried by a sweeping choral arrangement, published on his official channel.
Alright
an official music video that illustrates the artist's signature blend of contemporary gospel and R&B.
When the Spirit of the Lord
recorded with the group Radical for Christ, a song that has become a classic of African American worship services.
Discography
- 2014I Will Trust
- 2012God, Love & Romance
- 2009Love Unstoppable
- 2006Free to Worship· album awarded a Grammy Award
- 2004Somethin' 'Bout Love
- 2002Speak Those Things : POL Chapter 3
- 2000Purpose By Design· with Radical for Christ
- 1998Pages of Life, Chapters I & II· with Radical for Christ
- 1991I Am Persuaded
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Fred Hammond?
Fred Hammond is an American gospel singer, bassist, and producer born in 1960 in Detroit. A former member of the group Commissioned, he has led a solo career since 1991 that has earned him a Grammy Award and nine Dove Awards, with worship songs that have become classics in countless churches.
Is Fred Hammond Christian?
Yes. Fred Hammond's entire career, from his childhood church choir to his solo albums and his groups Commissioned and Radical for Christ, is rooted in worship and evangelical Christian witness.
What is Fred Hammond's most well known song?
Yahweh and When the Spirit of the Lord, recorded with Radical for Christ, are among his most performed songs in worship services. This Is the Day and We're Blessed are also among his most popular songs according to gospel critics.
Where can you listen to Fred Hammond?
His discography is available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, as well as on his official YouTube channel, where he regularly posts replays of his Sunday services.
Has Fred Hammond won a Grammy Award?
Yes, Fred Hammond won a Grammy Award for his album Free to Worship, released in 2006, after several nominations. He also has nine Dove Awards and an induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Was Fred Hammond part of a group before his solo career?
Yes, he was first a bassist with The Winans before joining the group Commissioned in 1985, with whom he recorded ten albums before launching his solo career in 1991.