Jo Jo Hammett About His Past
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Previous Years In Music
Jo Jo Hammett was born Willie Joe Hammett in LaGrange, Georgia; a small town located just south of Atlanta. Jo Jo came from a family of talent. His father along with his uncle had a gospel group that jammed regularly with the great Piano Red, one of Georgia's early blues artists who frequented Jo Jo's home. Jo Jo grew up in the same neighborhood with Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks of The Ohio Players. Three of Jo Jo's older brothers were friends of Pee Wee, Billy Stewart and Lloyd Price. Jo Jo sang in talent shows during his school years and later became lead singer in the band known as The Hurricanes. The Hurricanes toured along the east coast and southern states working with and/or opening shows for acts such as Joe Simon, King Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Womack, Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, Poonanny, R. B. Hudman, Jr., James and Bobby Purify, Major Lance, Willie Hightower, etc. It was Joe Simon that suggested the name Jo Jo Hammett instead of Joe Hammett. During his carrer, Jo Jo has won some Awards such as The Black & Gold Award, Mr. Entertainer Award and The R.A.S. Award.
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LaGrange, A Town Of Talent
Chips Moman Jo Jo is not the only talent that has come from LaGrange. One of the greater music producers, Chips Moman was born and raised in LaGrange. After moving to Memphis in the early fifties, Chips produced acts to name only a few such as Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Neil Diamond, Billy Joe Royal, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, B. J. Thomas, etc. Chips co-founded Stax Records and soon after founded American Sound Studios. Still today, Chips holds the record for the most #1 singles and gold records produced from a single studio. Chips also co-wrote songs such as Dark End Of The Street (James Carr), Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (Aretha Franklin), Hey Won't You Play Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song (B. J. Thomas), Luckenbach Texas (Waylon Jennings), So Much Like My Dad (George Strait). Chips also being a great guitar player has played on many hit songs during his career.
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Pat Alger Singer Songwriter Pat Alger also came from LaGrange. Pat has written and co-written many hit songs for artists such as Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea, Hal Ketchum, Nanci Griffith and others. Pat has recorded several Singer Songwriter CD's in which he himself performs many of his songs that had become hits. These CD's are available at record stores and also on the internet.
Some Of Pat Alger's Works:
- Unanswered Prayers
- Thunder Rolls
- She came From Fort Worth
- Once In A Very Blue Moon
- What She's Doing Now
- That Summer
- Going Gone
- Small Town Saturday Night
- Like A Hurricane
- Like We Never Had A Broken Heart
- Lone Star State Of Mind
- Seeds
- True Love
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Chet Atkins The late Chet Atkins (Cetified Guitar Player) grew up just a few miles south of LaGrange leaving for Tennessee at about the age of Seventeen. Chet moved to this area around age seven whith his father. Chet attended school in the Mountain Hill Community and his fother taught music (no surprise) in the surrounding area schools. There is not much that we could tell about Chet that the world does not already know. His accomplishments in the music industry were incredible. Interstate I-185 was named Chet Atkins Parkway approximately a year or so before his death. He is dearly missed by many.
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To Visit The Chet Atkins Memorial Page
Click On The Thumbnail Image To The Left
To Return To The Jo Jo Hammett Site Simply Close The Memorial Site Window
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Jimmy Farrar Born December 8, 1950 in LaGrange, Georgia; Jimmy Farrar (James Edwin Farrar) joined the band know as Molly Hatchet as their lead singer in 1979. Members of the band were Jimmy Farrar, Banner Thomas, Bruce Crump, Duane Roland, Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland. Check out Jimmy's vocals on albums 'Beatin The Odd' and 'Take No Prisoners.' Jimmy now is a member of the Southern Rock Allstars band.
Check out the Southern Rock Allstars at www.southernrockallstars.com
To Return To The Jo Jo Hammet Web Page Simply Close The Southern Rock Allstars Window
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