Born Stanley Burrell, Hammer was one of seven children raised by his mother in East Oakland. Hammer acquired part of his name at a young age, while working as a club house attendant for the Oakland A's superstar Reggie Jackson who said he resembled Hall of Famer Hammerin' Hank Aron. After attending college, Hammer enlisted in the U.S. Navy where the discipline he exhibited in his early stage career began. After the Navy, Hammer became a born again Christian. Hammer decided to mix rap and religion and formed a gospel group called the Holy Ghost Boys. The group went on to produce a single called "Pray," which eventually became one of Hammer's biggest hits. After a short stint with the Holy Ghost Boys, Hammer recorded his first solo record, "Ring 'Em." In 1988, he signed with Capitol Records who re-released his first album "Feel the Power" as "Let's Get It Started." This album went on to produce three top singles and sold over a million copies. Hammer has sold over 25 million albums world wide including Gold albums in 20 different countries. He has 3 Grammys, 7 American Music Awards, 2 MTV Awards, People's Choice Award, Soul Train Hall of Fame Award and the Soul Train Sammy Davis Jr. Award. Hammer's newest double CD, "Family Affair," is a collection of gospel and socially relevant tunes that deal with issues such as domestic abuse and broken homes.
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