I should take a picture of my Platinum Album that Robert Nix gave me from the Atlanta Rhythim Section-I'll get around to it later - HOWEVER:
I'll PREFACE this post about a LETTER that I just read with the fact that Robert Nix and I are both back in MS and still trying to set the MOON on FIRE! Robert and I met in Nashville and became FAST FRIENDS and he gave me my FIRST PLATINUM RECORD for the work I did for him and for the Atlanta Rhythm Section - tracking EVERY song and everything they did while in Atlanta and under the management of a pretty Ruthless Company that messed the ENTIRE BAND, and or course Robert, over pretty bad - it would break your HEART to hear the stories I've heard about artist and writers that DID NOT GET PAID nearly what they should have or outright had their BAND NAME STOLEN FROM THEM! There never seemed to be any limit to the GREED in the music business!
But this is about Robert and Ronnie Hammond - Go in PEACE RONNIE!
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From: Al Kooper
Re: Ronnie Hammond – Atlanta Rhythm Section
I knew Ronnie Hammond well. I befriended the band they were b4 ARS when they played New York as “The Candymen”. They were Roy Orbison's back up band and they opened for “The Blues Project” and “Blood Sweat & Tears” when I was a member of each and Orbison took time off. They were signed to ABC-Paramount back then.. We became good friends and when I played Atlanta as Al Kooper with my band in 1972, they invited us down to hear their just built studio and jam. I fell in love with that studio and also the other bands I heard in town when I spent that week there.
I bought into the studio and had my roadies pack up my apartment in New York City and I never even went back HOME from that trip. I moved to Atlanta in 1972, started my own label (Sounds Of the South) and signed two of the bands I heard in town that week (Lynyrd Skynyrd & Mose Jones) Robert Nix, ARS drummer played on Skynyrd's track "Tuesday's Gone" and Ronnie Hammond and Ronnie Van Zant challenged each other for the same woman on more than one occasion. I played on two ARS albums and they backed me up on one of my solo albums. When I heard he passed away, I hit You Tube to see what he looked and sounded like lately and he had aged pretty well. However only he and the keyboard player remained from the original band and that was sad.
It rang my bell when you quoted "Doraville," cause that's where Studio One of which I was part owner for awhile was. "Free Bird" "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Saturday Night Special" were all cut by that Jacksonville band...... in Doraville. I was told Ronnie wasn't feeling well and went to the doctor's office and promptly died right there.
Give 'em hell up there in Heaven, Ronnie.
Al Kooper
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If you don’t know who AL KOOPER is then you have to KNOW – read his book! But it all started with his training as a HORN PLAYER and when Bob Dylan was recording “Like a Rolling Stone” the keyboard player didn’t show or they just needed some Organ on the track and Al said “sure I can do it” – first RECORDING STUDIO GIG and FIRST TIME to play KEYS on anything and then the tale just goes on for years and years! I’m a HUGE FAN of everything AL KOOPER has ever done!
Steve Moore
MUSIC SQUARE ONE (and) High Cotton Records
I'll PREFACE this post about a LETTER that I just read with the fact that Robert Nix and I are both back in MS and still trying to set the MOON on FIRE! Robert and I met in Nashville and became FAST FRIENDS and he gave me my FIRST PLATINUM RECORD for the work I did for him and for the Atlanta Rhythm Section - tracking EVERY song and everything they did while in Atlanta and under the management of a pretty Ruthless Company that messed the ENTIRE BAND, and or course Robert, over pretty bad - it would break your HEART to hear the stories I've heard about artist and writers that DID NOT GET PAID nearly what they should have or outright had their BAND NAME STOLEN FROM THEM! There never seemed to be any limit to the GREED in the music business!
But this is about Robert and Ronnie Hammond - Go in PEACE RONNIE!
------------
From: Al Kooper
Re: Ronnie Hammond – Atlanta Rhythm Section
I knew Ronnie Hammond well. I befriended the band they were b4 ARS when they played New York as “The Candymen”. They were Roy Orbison's back up band and they opened for “The Blues Project” and “Blood Sweat & Tears” when I was a member of each and Orbison took time off. They were signed to ABC-Paramount back then.. We became good friends and when I played Atlanta as Al Kooper with my band in 1972, they invited us down to hear their just built studio and jam. I fell in love with that studio and also the other bands I heard in town when I spent that week there.
I bought into the studio and had my roadies pack up my apartment in New York City and I never even went back HOME from that trip. I moved to Atlanta in 1972, started my own label (Sounds Of the South) and signed two of the bands I heard in town that week (Lynyrd Skynyrd & Mose Jones) Robert Nix, ARS drummer played on Skynyrd's track "Tuesday's Gone" and Ronnie Hammond and Ronnie Van Zant challenged each other for the same woman on more than one occasion. I played on two ARS albums and they backed me up on one of my solo albums. When I heard he passed away, I hit You Tube to see what he looked and sounded like lately and he had aged pretty well. However only he and the keyboard player remained from the original band and that was sad.
It rang my bell when you quoted "Doraville," cause that's where Studio One of which I was part owner for awhile was. "Free Bird" "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Saturday Night Special" were all cut by that Jacksonville band...... in Doraville. I was told Ronnie wasn't feeling well and went to the doctor's office and promptly died right there.
Give 'em hell up there in Heaven, Ronnie.
Al Kooper
-------
If you don’t know who AL KOOPER is then you have to KNOW – read his book! But it all started with his training as a HORN PLAYER and when Bob Dylan was recording “Like a Rolling Stone” the keyboard player didn’t show or they just needed some Organ on the track and Al said “sure I can do it” – first RECORDING STUDIO GIG and FIRST TIME to play KEYS on anything and then the tale just goes on for years and years! I’m a HUGE FAN of everything AL KOOPER has ever done!
Steve Moore
MUSIC SQUARE ONE (and) High Cotton Records
