John H. Hammond

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John Henry Hammond (December 15, 1910–July 10, 1987) was a record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service as a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most influential figures in 20th Century popular music.

Born to great wealth as the great-grandson of William Henry Vanderbilt in New York City, Hammond showed great interest in music at an early age. At age four he began studying the piano, only to switch to the violin at age eight. In 1928 Hammond entered Yale University, where he continued to play the violin and, later, viola. Eventually he dropped out of school and became a correspondent in England for Melody Maker. Upon returning to the states, Hammond self-funded the recording of pianist Garland Wilson. The record sold thousands of copies, and was the beginning of a long string of successes as record producer. He also played a role in organizing Benny Goodman's first band (and later persuading him to hire Charlie Christian). While listening to the radio, he discovered Count Basie's orchestra and personally brought them to the East Coast and national attention.

After serving in the military during World War II, Hammond felt unmoved by the changing jazz (especially bebop jazz) scene of the mid-1940s; his tour of duty prevented him from remaining aware of American music developments.

He received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 1971, as he was responsible for discovering and developing artists, mostly for Columbia Records, such as: