Grammy Award-winning blues musician John Hammond has died at the age of 83, his friend and musical partner Paul Smith confirmed on Facebook on 1 March. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but Smith said Hammond's wife Marla informed him of the news.
Smith, a Toronto-based blues performer, paid heartfelt tribute: 'The blues world has lost a giant. I've lost my best friend. My heart goes out to Marla and the family. Rest easy, John.' He recalled sharing music and memories with Hammond in venues from Toronto to London.
George Thorogood, frontman of the Destroyers, also honoured Hammond, saying: 'For more than 50 years, John Hammond Jr. was an icon, a professional role model and, most importantly, a friend. Whilst we mourn his passing, we celebrate what the man and his music meant to us.'
Hammond's career spanned more than five decades, producing over 30 albums. He won a Grammy in 1985 for his contributions to 'Blues Explosion', a compilation recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and earned multiple other Grammy nominations, including for 'Rough & Tough' (Best Traditional Blues Album, 2009).
He was the son of legendary Columbia Records executive John Henry Hammond. His wife Marla, whom he married in 2003, survives him.
