John Henry Hammond

John Henry Hammond II: Man behind the curtain

"I heard no color line in the music.... To bring recognition to the negro's supremacy in jazz was the most effective and constructive form of social protest I could think of" said John Henry. Most jazz enthusiasts and even aficionados would find it hard to recollect his contribution to the jazz world as he was not always the man in the spotlight.

John Henry Hammond (December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) was an American record producer, Civil Rights activist and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service to what he regarded an African-American musical genre, he brought forward talents such as Art Tatum, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Charlie Christian and Count Basie among others. He is also credited for scouting talents of Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the revival of the music of the blues legend Robert Johnson.

He rejected the luxury of his father’s riches choosing instead to work hard and make a name of his own. He began his career as a radio jockey. At first he was allowed complete freedom to air artists of his choice. Here he aired talented musicians like Art Tatum and Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. When the radio station shifted and he found out that black musicians were not allowed to use their elevators he left the radio station and began his career as a record producer. His contributions to the popular music of his time, however is significant as a talent scout.

How do you measure the contribution of someone whose hand in the field was always invisible or behind the curtains? Consider the world of jazz without the heartful voice of Billie Holiday, the swinging tunes of Count Basie, the brilliance of pianist Teddy Wilson and the revolution that was Benny Goodman, then we begin to see what John Henry means to the Jazz world.