In 1956 he became a founding member of the gospel group The Mighty Clouds of Joy in Los Angeles, with Little Johnny Taylor and others.
His younger brother, Walter Hammond, became a member of vocal group The Olympics.
[3] He continued to write songs, but with much less success, as well as recording singles for a variety of small labels.
He joined Kent Records in 1966, and his four singles for that label, including "I'll Make It Up To You", are among his most well-known; Richie Unterberger wrote that they "mixed Southern soul, gospel, and blues styles, yet also had a somewhat lighter and poppier production aura than much Southern soul, perhaps because they were recorded in Los Angeles.
"[4] After leaving Kent in 1969 Hammond issued further singles, but in 1981 joined doo-wop group The Rivingtons as their lead vocalist, replacing Carl White.