Introduction:

Hugh Beresford Hammond OJ (born 28 August 1955 in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary, Jamaica) is widely regarded as the greatest lovers rock vocalist Jamaica has ever produced. With a smoky, velvet voice that has been compared to Otis Redding, Teddy Pendergrass and Sam Cooke, Beres Hammond has spent over five decades creating music of rare emotional depth and enduring beauty. A two-time Grammy nominee, Order of Jamaica recipient and Billboard reggae chart-topper, his story is one of patience, craft and the long game.

 

Early Life & Musical Roots:

Growing up as the ninth of ten children in Saint Mary, Beres was raised listening to his father's collection of American soul and jazz — Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and the great crooners of the era. These influences would prove foundational, fusing with the sounds of ska and rocksteady he heard around him to create the uniquely soulful style that defines his music. He began entering local talent contests in the early 1970s, leading to his first recording, and in 1975 joined Jamaica's celebrated reggae-funk band Zap Pow as lead vocalist. Their 1978 single "The System" was a Jamaican hit.

 

Solo Career & Breakthrough:

While fronting Zap Pow, Beres simultaneously pursued a solo career, releasing Soul Reggae in 1976 and scoring early hits with "One Step Ahead" and "I'm in Love". But it was the 1990s that would define his legacy. Signing with Donovan Germain's Penthouse Records in 1990, he recorded "Tempted to Touch" — laying his voice over a riddim derived from John Holt's classic "A Love I Can Feel". The result topped reggae charts internationally and became one of the most enduring lovers rock anthems ever recorded. His 1992 album A Love Affair elevated him to a new level of fame, with "Who Say" — a collaboration with a then-teenage Buju Banton — becoming a dancehall standard.His 1987 classic "What One Dance Can Do" had already established his songwriting credentials, and his social commentary track "Putting Up Resistance" (1990) remains one of the biggest reggae songs of that era.

 

A Pioneer of Self-Production:

Beres Hammond was a trailblazer in another sense — he pioneered the trend of reggae artists self-producing their own music in the 1990s, recording at his own home studio and drawing Jamaica's finest musicians to collaborate with him. The result was a string of impeccably crafted albums released through his Harmony House label in partnership with VP Records. In 2013 he was awarded the Order of Jamaica in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the Jamaican music industry.Rihanna has tweeted his lyrics. Drake has publicly declared his admiration. Wyclef Jean once told him on record: "All you fake singers, bow down to the legend." His influence on reggae is immeasurable.

 

Key Albums:

 

• Soul Reggae (1976) — solo debut
• A Love Affair (1992) — breakthrough album
• Putting Up Resistance (1990)
• Have a Nice Weekend (1998)
• Music Is Life (2001) — Grammy nominated
• Love Has No Boundaries (2004)
• A Moment in Time (2008)
• One Love, One Life (2012) — Grammy nominated, Billboard #1
• Never Ending (2018) — Billboard #1 in first week

 

Beres Hammond on Reggae On A Stick:  

Beres Hammond is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience the voice that Wyclef Jean called a legend alongside 99 other icons of Jamaican music.

👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB