Tributes are pouring in for musician John Hammond, who passed away on February 28, 2026.
A key figure in the 1960s blues boom, the singer and guitarist released his debut album in 1963. That self-titled record, John Hammond, launched Hammond’s career and led the artist to record more than 30 more albums.
This Saturday, March 21, Natch’l Blues will include an interview between John Hammond and host Holger Petersen. The Blues Music Awards, held annually in Memphis, Tennessee, have given Petersen many opportunities to meet with artists from around the world. When he and Hammond were in Memphis at the same time in 2018, he jumped at the chance for a longer interview.
“I had been wanting to do a long interview with him for quite a while. We’ve done many interviews in the past, but it had been a while since the last one, so I asked and he agreed. That was great.”
Petersen says he became aware of Hammond’s music in the late 60s. “I was at CKUA, and I started doing my blues show, and they had those early records in the library.”
Petersen says the “barrelhouse” blues style is just one part of what Hammond did. “It’s an intense, energetic, acoustic performance, mostly associated with piano, but of course he played guitar. He played acoustic and slide guitar, and he had that big voice and that intensity that comes with the barrelhouse sound.”
Petersen acknowledges the ways in which Hammond was a groundbreaking artist. “I think people will remember him as one of the first to really expose country blues. Back in 1962, there were so few people doing that. He was one of two people recording acoustic blues that way, and certainly of the few white people popularizing that. In an era when some of the Delta blues greats were being re-discovered, he was taking that and making it his own.”
Hammond also traveled extensively, making connections wherever he went. Petersen says, “He was the first young guy, traveling the world that way. He inspired so many people during his many trips and tours across Canada.”
Hammond played every type of venue in Canada, from little clubs to big festivals, and “took that music to those places for the first time.” Petersen mentions Colin James, Big Dave McLean, and The Whiteley Brothers as artists who would have certainly been influenced by Hammond.
Petersen has interviewed numerous blues greats over the years, and some have become his friends. That’s certainly true of Hammond. Petersen says simply, “He was a dear friend. We hung out a lot over the years, so he is very sadly missed.”
Tune in to hear Holger Petersen’s interview with the late John Hammond, Saturday, March 21. Natch’l Blues airs from 3pm – 5pm.
“Crossroads Blues” is a track from John Hammond’s debut album, released in 1963.
