Beres Hammond Research Paper

Hugh Beresford Hammond, better known as Beres Hammond is a Jamaican reggae legend. He was born on August 28, 1955 in Annotto Bay, St. Mary Jamaica. Hammond grew up in a big family, being the ninth of ten children and he was fortunate enough to rise to fame. Growing up in Jamaica, there are many different music influences. He grew up singing and did covers for many American artists such as Ortis Redding and Sam Cooke. He was also influenced by the different Ska and Rocksteady music styles. He would later combine these style to make his own style.
During his late high school years (1972-1973), Hammond performed in a handful of talent shows gaining some recognition. According to an article, “VP's Hammond Approaches the Mainstream”, Hammond says he toured in these talent contests without pay. He even released his first solo of Alton Ellis’s “Wanderer”. However, Hammond became annoyed with the “slave work” of performing with nobody paying attention, so he eventually stopped. In 1975, he joined a band called Zap Pow as the lead singer. While in the group, Hammond was already searching for opportunities to become a solo artist, as that was his dream.
This was the style that was a combination of the different types of music he listened to growing up. Lover’s Rock. He had founded his own label, Harmony House. His first singles coming back were, “Groovy Little Thing” and “What One Dance Can Do”, which are still some of his biggest hits to this day. This was a big break from Hammond and he was gaining fame. In 1980, he was robbed in Jamaica, and that caused him to move to New York to live a little more privately. Hammond continued to release hits that rose on the charts and stole the hearts of many. His music was now not only recognized in Jamaica or just New York, but worldwide. Beres Hammond continues to make music today and as Steve Huey of billboard.com states, Hammond is “one of the most underappreciated reggae artists of his