Despite his six decades in show business, songwriter legend Albert Hammond (“It Never Rains In Southern California,” “The Free Electric Band”) still feels insecure when he goes on stage. “After the second song I feel good,” said the 79-year-old to the German Press Agency in London. “But before that you’re nervous because you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”
Hammond, who has written countless hits for other stars, including The Hollies (“The Air That I Breathe”), Starship (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”) and Whitney Houston (“One Moment In Time”). “I never liked my own voice that much,” he said. “But that’s probably how many of us are. Creative people are insecure people. We need someone to tell us that something is good. Otherwise we don’t know.”
79-year-old with new album
For the first time in around 20 years, Hammond has now recorded his own album with 17 new songs, which he sings himself in his distinctive voice. On “Body Of Work” “everything came together,” said the singer and songwriter happily. “Everything seemed to be working.”
If his health permits, Hammond, who unfortunately suffers from an autoimmune disease, wants to be on stage again soon. “I’ll do something, that’s for sure,” said the 79-year-old. “I’ll find a way.” In addition to the new music, he also wants to perform his greatest hits again.
According to Albert Hammond, the fact that he celebrated his greatest successes in recent decades not as a pop star but as a songwriter definitely has advantages. “It’s nice that I’m part of pop history and wrote all these wonderful songs that have been enjoyed by hundreds of millions of people,” he said. “Still, I can go outside and hardly anyone asks me for an autograph.”
