Ronnie Hammond

Ronald William Hammond (November 10, 1950 – March 14, 2011) was an American singer best known for being the lead singer of the southern rock band the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

While not a founding member of the band, Hammond was a member throughout the band's most successful period, and sang lead vocals on hit songs such as "So in to You", "Imaginary Lover", "Spooky", and "Do It or Die". He was known for his smooth, soulful voice, which Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd once said was the best he had ever heard.

Ronnie Hammond was born on November 10, 1950, in Macon, Georgia, to parents and Marie Martin (née Hester) and James Murry Hammond. He was one of three brothers and two sisters. He graduated from A.R. Willingham High School in 1969. During high school, Hammond was a member of a band known as The Celtics, with whom he released a few singles.

Hammond began working at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia, as an assistant engineer to Rodney Mills, in the early 1970s. Most notably, he was an engineer on the Hampton Grease Band album Music to Eat. Around that time, the newly-formed Atlanta Rhythm Section began recording their self-titled debut album at Studio One. Upon release in 1972, the album flopped, and lead singer Rodney Justo left the band to pursue a solo career. Mills, being the engineer for the album, knew of Hammond's singing talent, and recommended that he join the band as their new lead singer.

After Hammond joined the Atlanta Rhythm Section, the band began working on their second album, Back Up Against the Wall. Hammond continued to record with the band, resulting in the albums Third Annual Pipe Dream, Dog Days, and Red Tape. None of these albums managed to find any major commercial success. The following album, A Rock and Roll Alternative, brought Hammond and his band into the spotlight, due to the success of one of its singles, "So in to You", in which Hammond sung the lead vocal.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia.