# List of Hammond organ players

The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert. The instrument was first manufactured in 1935. It has two manuals along with a set of bass pedals. A variety of models have been produced. The most popular is the B-3, produced between 1954 and 1974.
The instrument was designed to replace the pipe organ in churches, and early adopters included Henry Ford and George Gershwin, but it was not widely adopted for classical music. However, it was played in African American churches, and its use spread to gospel music and then to jazz in the 1950s. After usage declined in the jazz world in the 1970s, it subsequently regained its popularity in the genre and has become the second most used keyboard instrument in jazz after the piano. Jimmy Smith popularized the Hammond organ, and its technique of using drawbars and pedals.
Having found success in jazz, the Hammond organ became popular in rhythm and blues, including Booker T. & the M.G.'s and other Stax Records artists. From there, it became used in rock music, with users including Ian McLagan, Jean Alain Roussel, Matthew Fisher, Steve Winwood, Mike Finnigan, Gregg Allman and Jon Lord. It became a significant instrument in progressive rock during the early 1970s, and became a featured instrument in ska and reggae. Although the original Hammond Organ Company collapsed, it was purchased by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation, who continued to manufacture the instrument using several former staff for research and development. Jazz organists, including Joey DeFrancesco and Barbara Dennerlein, have continued to feature the Hammond organ into the 21st century.
* Top
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

## A

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Don Airey | b. 1948 | C-3 A-100 | Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple | Used Jon Lord's old C-3 upon joining Deep Purple, but prefers the A-100. |
| Gregg Allman | 1947–2017 | B-3 | The Allman Brothers Band | Was given a brand new B-3 and Leslie 122RV when the band was formed. |
| Tori Amos | b. 1963 | B-3 | Y Kant Tori Read | Played a Hammond on her 2005 album The Beekeeper. |
| Rod Argent | b. 1945 | B-3 | The Zombies, Argent | Solo on 1972 hit single "Hold Your Head Up" cited by Rick Wakeman as "the greatest organ solo ever". |
| Brian Auger | b. 1939 | L-100 B-3 | Julie Driscoll, The Trinity, The Oblivion Express | Played without a Leslie speaker. |

## B

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Joe Bagg | b. 1967 | B-3 | Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Anthony Wilson | Featured on Downbeat Magazine's rising stars for organ (2011-present) |
| Tony Banks | b. 1950 | L-122 T-102 | Genesis | Bought a L-122 when the band was formed, which was replaced by a T-102. |
| Hugh Banton | b. 1949 | E-100 C-3 | Van der Graaf Generator | Played a Hammond E-100 organ that he personally modified with customised electronics. |
| Nickey Barclay | b. 1951 | TTR-100 C-3 | Fanny |
| Peter Bardens | 1944–2002 | C-3 | Shotgun Express, Camel, Van Morrison | |
| Graham Bond | 1937–1974 | | Don Rendell Quintet, Blues Incorporated, The Graham Bond Organisation | An early adopter of the Hammond in the UK, playing it on stage as early as 1962. |
| James Brown | 1933–2006 | B-3 | | Used the same model for 20 years, calling it "The Godfather", and played it on sessions for other artists. |
| Milt Buckner | 1915–1977 | B-3 | The Hammond Organ Trio | Pioneered the use of the Hammond organ in jazz. |
| John "Rabbit" Bundrick | b. 1948 | C-3, XB-2 | The Who Free | Used a Hammond on loan from Pete Townshend when he started touring with The Who. Has since used a XB-2. |
| Jerry Burke | 1911–1965 | | Lawrence Welk | Organist for Lawrence Welk from 1934 until his death. Published several volumes of organ arrangements. |

## C

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Tony Carey | b. 1953 | | Rainbow, Over The Rainbow |
| Felix Cavaliere | b. 1942 | | The (Young) Rascals, Steven Van Zandt's 'Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul', Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band | Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee |
| Bill Champlin | b. 1947 | Sk1-73 & B-3 | Keyboard player with US band Sons of Champlin and Wunderground. | Worked with artists including Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Donna Summer, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Jimmy Smith, Amy Grant, Neil Diamond and Kenny Rogers |
| Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark | b. 1954 | | The Clark Sisters | US gospel singer, composer, musician, and evangelist dubbed "The Queen of the B-3". Has performed in The Clark Sisters and as a solo artist. |
| Rob Collins | 1965–1996 | | The Charlatans | |
| Tom Coster | b. 1941 | B-3 | Santana, John McLaughlin | |
| Vincent Crane | 1943–1989 | C-3 | The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster | |
| Hank Crawford | | B-3 | | Bought a B-3 in 1956, having already accomplished several other instruments. |
| Jesse Crawford | 1895–1962 | | | A US pianist and organist who performed in the 1920s as a theatre organist for silent films. In the 1930s, he switched to the Hammond, and also used the chord organ. |

## D

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Jackie Davis | 1920–1999 | B-3 | | |
| Wild Bill Davis | 1918–1995 | C-3 | Floyd Smith, Johnny Hodges | American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger. |
| Lenny Dee | 1923–2006 | A B-3 transistor models | | An American pop/easy listening/boogie-woogie/jazz organist whose career spanned six decades and 56 albums; he had a Top 20 hit in 1955 with "Plantation Boogie". Used various tonewheel and transistor Hammonds, and was a strong critic of the company. |
| Joey DeFrancesco | 1971-2022 | B-3, New B-3 | | An American jazz organist and trumpeter. Down Beat's 2003 Critics Poll selected him as "top jazz organist". Mentored by Jimmy Smith, he has performed with Miles Davis and John McLaughlin and Van Morrison. |
| "Papa" John DeFrancesco | b. 1940 | B-3 | | Father of Joey DeFrancesco. |
| Barbara Dennerlein | b. 1964 | B-3 | | Has achieved particular critical acclaim for use of the bass pedals, and mixing the Hammond with samples. Has won the Down Beat "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition" title five times, and is a three-time recipient of the German Critics Award. |
| Bill Doggett | 1916–1996 | | Billy Butler | Co-wrote and recorded the instrumental "Honky Tonk" in 1956. |
| Tyrone Downie | b. 1956 | | Bob Marley and the Wailers | Used on "No Woman, No Cry" on the album Live! |

## E

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Charles Earland | 1941–1999 | B-3 | Grover Washington, Jr. | |
| Keith Emerson | 1944–2016 | L-100 C-3 | The Nice / Emerson, Lake & Palmer / Emerson, Lake & Powell | Infamously abused a L-100 on stage, sticking knives in the instrument. |
| John Evan | b. 1948 | C-3 | Jethro Tull | |

## F

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Georgie Fame | b. 1943 | M-100 | Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames | Pioneer of British rhythm and blues through his performances at the Flamingo Club, London in the mid-1960s. |
| Danny Federici | 1950–2008 | B-3 | Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band | |
| Mike Finnigan | 1945–2021 | B-3 | Jimi Hendrix, Les Dudek, Taj Mahal, The Phantom Blues Band | |
| Matthew Fisher | b. 1946 | M-102 | Procol Harum | Co-wrote and recorded "A Whiter Shade of Pale". |
| Henry Ford | 1863–1947 | A | | |

## G

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Mick Gallagher | b. 1945 | C-3 | Ian Dury, The Blockheads, The Animals, Peter Frampton, The Clash | |
| George Gershwin | 1898–1937 | A | | |
| Larry Goldings | b. 1968 | B-3 | Maceo Parker, Peter Bernstein | |
| Dave Greenfield | (1949–2020) | L-100 | The Stranglers | |
| Dave Greenslade | b. 1943 | | Greenslade, Colosseum | Focused on Hammond organ in Greenslade while Dave Lawson played synthesizers. |

## H

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Bo Hansson | 1943–2010 | | Hansson & Karlsson | A jam session featuring Hansson with Jimi Hendrix has been widely bootlegged. |
| Atsuko Hashimoto | b. 197? | B-3 with one or two Leslie speakers | Jeff Hamilton, Yutaka Hashimoto (jazz guitarist) | Plays in jazz trios with a drummer and either a saxophonist or a guitarist. |
| Alexander Hawkins | b. 1981 | | | As part of the trio Decoy. |
| Isaac Hayes | 1942–2008 | B-3 | Stax Records | Used on Hot Buttered Soul. |
| Cory Henry | b. 1987 | B-3 | Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles | |
| Ken Hensley | 1945-2020 | B-3 | Uriah Heep | |
| Milt Herth | 1902–1969 | | | |
| Christopher Holland | b. 196? | | | Brother of Jools Holland. |
| Richard "Groove" Holmes | 1931–1991 | B-3, X-77, Concorde | Gene Ammons, Les McCann, Gerald Wilson | |
| John Hondorp | b. 1964 | A-100, B-3, HX-3 | Unit Records |

## I

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | Doug Ingle | b. 1945 | | Iron Butterfly | Started with a Vox organ and later moved to Hammond. |

## J

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Booker T. Jones | b. 1944 | M-1, M-3, B-3 | Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Mar-Keys, Otis Redding, Stephen Stills, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Drive By Truckers, Rancid | Played a M-3 on the 1962 R&B hit "Green Onions". |
| Melvyn "Deacon" Jones | 1943–2017 | B-3 | Baby Huey & the Babysitters, The Impressions band, Freddie King band, John Lee Hooker band | |
| John Paul Jones | b. 1946 | M-100, C-3, SK-1 | Led Zeppelin | English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a bass player |
| Lonnie Jordan | b. 1948 | B-3 | Eric Burdon, War | |

## K

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Tony Kaye | b. 1946 | M-100 C-3 | Yes, Badger, David Bowie | |
| Al Kooper | b. 1944 | | Bob Dylan / Super Session / Blood, Sweat & Tears | Played a Hammond on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". |
| Joe Krown | b. 1962 | A-100, B-3, XK-2 | Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown | Played with Brown from 1992 to 2005. |

## L

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Robert Lamm | b. 1944 | B-3 | Chicago | |
| Eddie Layton | 1925–2004 | | | Promoted the Hammond as a touring demonstrator, and played the organ at old Yankee Stadium for nearly 40 years. |
| Ron Levy | b. 1951 | B-3 | B.B. King band, Roomful of Blues, Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom | |
| Jon Lord | 1941–2012 | C-3 | Deep Purple | Founding member of Deep Purple, played a C-3 through a Marshall amplifier. |
| Eddy Louiss | 1941–2015 | | Jean-Luc Ponty | |

## M

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Ray Manzarek | 1939–2013 | C-3 | The Doors | Used a C-3 on L.A. Woman and the band's post-Jim Morrison career. |
| Hank Marr | 1927–2004 | C-3, B-3 X-66 | Rusty Bryant | |
| Page McConnell | b. 1963 | B-3 | Phish | |
| Jack McDuff | 1926–2001 | B-3 | Willis Jackson | Also known as "Brother" Jack McDuff. An early collaborator with George Benson. |
| Jimmy McGriff | 1936–2008 | B-3 |
| Goldy McJohn | 1945–2017 | M-3, B-3 | Steppenwolf | |
| Ron "Pigpen" McKernan | 1945–1973 | B-3 | Grateful Dead | Upgraded from a Vox Continental to a B-3 in 1968. |
| Ian McLagan | 1945–2014 | M-100 | Small Faces, Faces, Rolling Stones | |
| Christine McVie | 1943-2022 | B-3 | Played a chopped and customised B-3 on tour | Chicken Shack, Fleetwood Mac |
| John Medeski | b. 1965 | B-3 | Medeski Martin & Wood, John Scofield | |
| Lee Michaels | b. 1945 | B-2 | | Often played as a duo, with the Hammond covering all sounds except drums. |
| Money Mark | | | Beastie Boys | |
| Brent Mydland | 1952–1990 | B-3 | Grateful Dead | |

## N

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | Christopher North | b. 1951 | B-3 | Ambrosia | |

## O

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | Spooner Oldham | b. 1943 | B-3 | FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Dan Penn, Neil Young | On The Box Tops' "Cry Like a Baby" and on Keith Richards' Crosseyed Heart. |
| | Mike Oldfield | b. 1953 | | | On Tubular Bells, and Tubular Bells II. |

## P

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Don Patterson | 1936–1988 | B-3 | Booker Ervin, Sonny Stitt | |
| Big John Patton | 1935–2002 | B-3 | Grant Green | |
| Sonny Phillips | b. 1936 | B-3 | Gene Ammons, Houston Person | |
| Billy Preston | 1946–2006 | B-3 | The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton | |
| Alan Price | b. 1942 | | The Animals, Alan Price Set | Started off with a Vox Continental organ. |

## R

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Doug Riley | 1945–2007 | | Famous People Players | Known as "Dr. Music". |
| Billy Ritchie | b. 1944 | | '1–2–3', Clouds | |
| Gregg Rolie | b. 1947 | B-3 | Santana, Journey | Two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. |

## S

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Merl Saunders | 1934–2008 | B-3, XB-2 | Jerry Garcia | |
| Rhoda Scott | b. 1938 | B-3, B-3000 (custom model) | | |
| Shirley Scott | 1934–2002 | B-3 | Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Stanley Turrentine | |
| Paul Shaffer | b. 1949 | B-3 | Saturday Night Live (SNL), The Blues Brothers, David Letterman | Beginning in 1982 through 2015 (33 years), Shaffer served as musical director/band leader for David Letterman's late night talk shows. |
| Dave Sinclair | b.1947 | A-100 | Caravan | Used a fuzz-box to achieve distorted guitar-like sound on solos. |
| Ethel Smith | 1902–1996 | A | | Known as "The First Lady of the Hammond Organ". |
| Jimmy Smith | 1925–2005 | B-3 | Wes Montgomery | His 1950s Blue Note recordings inspired countless organists of the 1960s and 1970s. |
| Johnny "Hammond" Smith | 1933–1997 | B-3 | Houston Person | |
| Lonnie Smith | 1942–2021 | B-3 | George Benson, Lou Donaldson | |
| Mark Stein | b. 1947 | B-3 | Vanilla Fudge | |
| Dave Stewart | b. 1950 | L-100 | Egg, Hatfield and the North, National Health, Bruford | |

## T

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | James Taylor | | B-3 | The Prisoners, James Taylor Quartet (JTQ) | Credited with popularising the Hammond organ in acid jazz. |

## V

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | Earl Van Dyke | 1930–1992 | B-3 | The Funk Brothers, Fred Jackson, Ike Quebec | Backed many "hits" for the Motown Records label. |
| | Thijs van Leer | b. 1948 | L-100 XB-3 | Focus | |

## W

| Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| Cherry Wainer | 1935–2014 | | Lord Rockingham's XI | Hammond customised with quilted white-leather and diamanté studs. |
| Rick Wakeman | b. 1949 | L-100 C-3 | Yes, Strawbs, English Rock Ensemble | |
| Fats Waller | 1904–1943 | A | | Started his career on pipe organ, then became an early adopter of the Hammond. |
| Walter Wanderley | 1932-1986 | L-100 B-3 | Soloist, Astrud Gilberto | Brazilian organist best known for his lounge and bossa nova music and for his instrumental version of the song Summer Samba which became a worldwide hit. |
| Peter Weltner | b. 1952 | New B-3 | soloist, organ-drums duo | |
| Steve Winwood | b. 1948 | C-3, B-3 | The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith | |
| Rick Wright | 1943–2008 | M-100 C-3 | Pink Floyd | Founding member of Pink Floyd, upgraded from a Farfisa Compact Duo to a M-100 on stage in 1970. |
| Winston Wright | 1944–1993 | | Tommy McCook's Supersonics, Harry J Allstars | Acknowledged as Jamaica's master of the Hammond organ. |
| Klaus Wunderlich | 1931–1997 | C-3, H-100 | | Played the C-3, then in the mid 1960s changed to model H-100. He later combined the sound of the H-100 with a Lowrey Organ Model H25-3 and Wersi model W248S which was called the "New Pop Organ Sound". |

## Y

| Image | Name | Lifetime | Models played | Associated acts | Notes |
| | Larry Young | 1940–1978 | B-3 | Tony Williams' Lifetime | |