Grammy-Winning Blues Legend John Hammond Dies at 83

Blues guitarist and singer John Hammond has died at the age of 83

NEED TO KNOW

• News of his death was confirmed by Toronto blues musician Paul Smith in a Facebook post on Sunday, March 1

• "The blues world has lost a giant," Smith wrote in the post

Legendary blues guitarist and singer John Hammond has died. He was 83.

In aFacebook postshared on Sunday, March 1, Toronto blues musician Paul Smith shared that Hammond's wife Marla confirmed news of his death.

"Marla Hammond called me yesterday with the heartbreaking news that my dear friend John Hammond has passed away. The blues world has lost a giant. I've lost my best friend. My heart goes out to Marla and the family. Rest easy, John," he wrote.

Smith added: "I've just been going through the photos we've shared over the years — from the Horseshoe Tavern to Albert's Hall, from London to Montreal, to Edmonton to Ottawa — and each picture tells a story of great music, great people, and unforgettable nights." He was such an inspiration to me, I'll miss him terribly...."

According to a report fromBillboardCanada, Hammond died of cardiac arrest.

PEOPLE has reached out to Hammond's reps for additional comment.

Known as both John P. Hammond and John Hammond Jr., the late musician was the son of producer and talent scout John Henry Hammond Jr.

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Hammond began playing guitar in high school and dropped out after studying Antioch College in Ohio after a year to pursue his professional music career.

In 1963, he signed with Vanguard Records and his self-titled debut album featured music written by blues icons like Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Robert Johnson, as well as covers of tracks like Chuck Berry's "Maybellene."

Throughout his career, Hammond released more than 30 albums and he even won a Grammy in 1985 won a Grammy for his work on the compilation recordBlues Explosion, which was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982.

In the following years, Hammond received additional nominations for his 2009 album,Rough & Tough, which earned a nod for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Hammond also received Grammy nominations for albums includingYou Can't Judge a Book by the Cover(1993),Trouble No More(1994),Found True Love(1996),Long As I Have You(1998), andIn Your Arms Again(1995).

He was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.

Read the original article onPeople

byLiam Oneel

in

March 03, 2026

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His older brother, Nick Pistone, posted a message on social media, announcing his death, which did not include a cause or where he died.

But Chase's brothers, Tom and Nick, requested that Legends Nation "post the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is 988 on a phone or text."

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"Chase was not only a wheelman in Legends and Late Models, but his Chase Pistone Inc. Legends team was a force to be reckoned with every time they showed up at a track, and they usually walked away with the winner's trophy,"Legends Nation postedon social media.

During his career, Pistone, who is the grandson of two-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner Tom Pistone, competed in the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Xfinity (now NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts) Series.

"Well, my young brother and best friend is gone,"Nick Pastone saidon social media. "I'm broken-hearted and don't know if I'll ever get over this. I miss you Chase already and I hope you are you are in a better place. I love you and I miss you so much already!!!!!!!"

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Meadows was the newest crew member on the Aleutian Lady, a boat featured on the high-riskDiscovery Channelreality series.

According to reports, the vessel was being filmed at the time of Meadows's death, which occurred on 25 February. A GoFundMe set up in his honour confirmed he died while "crabbing out on Alaskan waters".

Deadlineclaimed that the vessel was the last one featured in the forthcoming 22nd season that was still at sea, and that filming concluded shortly after Meadows's death.

Captain Rick Shelford, who has been a regular on the show since 2023, called it the "most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady".

Shelford continued: "His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone's respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always."

A spokesperson for Discovery Channel said his death was "a devastating loss", adding: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. Our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time."

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Deadliest Catchpremiered in 2005, following a group of king crab fishermen in Alaska as they embarked on the perilous journey to catch the seafood delicacy in the Bering Sea. The title is inspired by the high risk of injury or death linked to the line of work.

In 2019, a boat set to appear onDeadliest Catch: Dungeon Covecapsized in Newport, Oregon, killing three fisherman: Joshua Porter, 50, James Lacy, 48 and Stephen Biernacki, 50.

Discovery Channel paid tribute to the victims: "We feel deeply saddened by the news, as we feel part of the crabbing community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and the entire community during this difficult time."

A friend of Porter told local news he had planned for the voyage to be his last on this particular boat because he found the crew to be "inexperienced".

"Those were his words," Celeste Paranto toldThe Oregonian. "It's very sad. Because he was a responsible person. He went out on the trip and never returned home. I'm really having a hard time with it."

Oregon State Police said that the incident occurred after the fishermen asked the US Coast Guard (USCG) to assist them in crossing the Yaquina Bay bar shortly before 10 pm because of "high seas".

Shortly after, authorities discovered the boat "had capsized with three people onboard". The fatal incident was witnessed by a Coast Guard crew who reportedly carried out a search and rescue mission.

According to the USCG Pacific Northwest'sTwitterpage, they were "battling 12 to 14-foot" waves.

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