Born in England, spent most of his boyhood in Gibraltar where he began entertaining professionally at 13. With a brother, he formed the Diamond Boys but, on returning to England, he secured a job with Los Cuico Ricardos, a mariachi combo. In 1966, a meeting with Mike Hazelwood, a Radio Luxembourg presenter, led to a productive songwriting collaboration. After 1968's international success with "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee, they scored domestically with the Pipkins' "Gimme Dat Ding" - commissioned (like "Little Arrows") for "Oliver And The Overlord," an award-winning children's television series. The pair also sang with Magic Lantern and Family Dogg - whose "Way Of Life" reached the UK Top 10 in 1969 - prior to crossing to Los Angeles to better hawk their collective and separate wares before more prestigious customers. With compositions of less infantile stamp than "Gimme Dat Ding', Hammond became, in 1971, the first artist contracted to the Mums label. Its manager, Bobby Roberts' outlay was mitigated when the second Hammond single, "It Never Rains In Southern California", sold a million in the USA alone and, after a two-year wait, "Free Electric Band" also did well, even gaining a toehold on the UK Top 20. His last major hit was in the USA with "I'm A Train". Hammond lacked "image", and so the success or failure of his records depended solely on their commercial suitability; his initial triumphs were not matched by anything issued since. Yet, with "The Air That I Breathe" (with Hazelwood) for the Hollies, "99 Miles From LA" for Art Garfunkel, the Carpenters' 1976 hit, "I Need To Be In Love' and 1977"s "When I Need You" (with Carole Bayer Sager) for Leo Sayer, he continued to register hits as a major songwriter. His songs have been used in THE SLUGGER'S WIFE (1985, "When I Need You"), TEQUILA SUNROSE (1988, "Give a Little Love"), AMONG GIANTS (1998, "The Air That I Breathe") and THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999, "The Air That I Breathe"). Hammond was awarded the O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II on the 2000 New Year's Honours list, becoming the first ASCAP direct member to receive such an honor. His son, Albert Hammond, Jr., is a guitarist in the band The Strokes.  Nominated for Achievement in Music Best Song 1987: MANNEQUIN "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - Music & Lyric (w. Diane Warren) 1 nomination