When U.S. Patent 1,956,350 was issued to Laurens Hammond on April 24, 1934, for an “electrical musical instrument,”  the world of music changed forever.

My first organ was a Hammond.  My Aunt Vina, my school, my church and just about everyone else I knew who had an organ, had a Hammond organ.  Do you know who got the very first Hammond organ every made?  George Gershwin.  Henry Ford was a fan, too.  He purchased six of them.  Hammond organs have been played by major artists such as Count Basie, Fats Waller, Jimmy Smith, Booker T Jones, Gregg Allman, and many, many more, and are still played today by artists and enthusiasts everywhere.

Laurens “Larry” Hammond didn’t start out to invent an organ.  He wasn’t even a musician. He was an inventor.  I, for one, am glad he followed his dreams so that we could follow our dreams and make music happen.