The Unstoppable Fred Hammond
By Lisa Collins, senior music editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
For the last three decades, Fred Hammond has been an innovative force in gospel music. As a pioneer of the contemporary gospel era, he co-founded the cutting-edge gospel group Commissioned, synergized the choir movement of the ’90s with his choral ensemble, Radical For Christ, and powered himself to the top of the charts. Hits such as “Glory to Glory,” “You Are the Living Word” and “No Weapon” have become gospel classics and solidified Hammond’s status as one of the industry’s most sought-after producers.
After a three-year hiatus from recording and what he describes as one of the most challenging periods of his life, Hammond is back to show he’s not only versatile but invincible with his new CD, Love Unstoppable.
The release, his sixth number-one debut on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, also entered at number one on the Billboard Top Christian/Gospel Albums, number 26 on the Billboard Top 200 – his highest debut on that chart – and number 10 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel albums chart.
“This outstanding first week really speaks to what Fred Hammond means to Gospel music, and that is exceptional musicianship, passionate worship and overall great songs,” says James “Jazzy” Jordan, executive vice president of Verity Gospel Music Group. “He is the ‘real deal’ and this is a great day for him and everyone who helped make this record.”
Hammond reveals the last four years have been the best and the worst of his life, but describes it by saying, “It’s just age.”
A move to Dallas, being away from his kids, the passing of both his mom and his best friend, Wayman Tisdale, and the challenge of starting a new company in the midst of a recession, have all been stressful for Hammond. But adjusting to life after divorce, and as Hammond says, “The relationship stuff,” was most influential in shaping the album.
“We couldn’t finish writing one song before there was another one,” he says. “The record just flowed out of us.”
The track he’s most excited about is the soulful “Take My Hand,” a remake of Thomas Dorsey’s “Precious Lord.”
“I always like to take something old, flip it and make something new out of it,” Hammond says of what he calls “Vintage Fred.” “One of my best friends had lost her father and I’d never heard her cry. So to see her breaking down like that really just broke my heart. Then I thought about losing my mom, and where we are as a country. We will always have to pray and that’s [the message of] ‘Take My Hand.’”
There’s also the song he’s most passionate about – “Lost In You Again” – which he compares to “Clean Heart,” a staple from his GRAMMY-nominated, 2001 project, Purpose By Design.
