Biography

He became known as the lead singer and lyricist for the band Van Der Graaf Generator. He has also released over 30 solo albums. Notable artists to have cited him as an influence include John Lydon from Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., Fish from Marillion and Marc Almond from Soft Cell.

His dedicated fans consider him a "musicial genius", he's also truly unique in the approach he has taken to getting his music out to his fans. He is a solely independent recording artist.

Hammill has been an independent recording artist for over 25 years. He runs his own record company, called FiE!, out of his home. He writes, creates and records in his home studio. His music is released without fanfare...with almost non-existent advertising. If you are a fan, you know how to find it.

He has made a very good living doing it his way, proving to the the naysayers that it can be done....one can get inspiring, important music out there without much hype and with zero gimmicks.

In the 1970's, Van der Graaf Generator had their largest following in Italy, it's obvious that their fan base there remains extremely strong. Hammill's Italian solo gigs always sell out immediately, as well as him being lauded by Italian music and cultural critics alike.

At the end of 2004, he was awarded the very prestigious Italian Tenco Prize for songwriting.

Right after wrapping up recording his "Incoherence" CD, Hammill survived a heart attack in December 2003.