The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert.^[1] The instrument was first manufactured in 1935.^[2] It has two manuals along with a set of bass pedals.^[3] A variety of models have been produced. The most popular is the B-3, produced between 1954 and 1974.^[4]

The instrument was designed to replace the pipe organ in churches, and early adopters included Henry Ford and George Gershwin,^[5] but it was not widely adopted for classical music.^[6] 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.^[7] Jimmy Smith popularized the Hammond organ, and its technique of using drawbars and pedals.^[8]

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.^[9] From there, it became used in rock music, with users including Ian McLagan, Jean Alain Roussel, Matthew Fisher, Steve Winwood,^[10][11] Mike Finnigan, Gregg Allman^[12] and Jon Lord.^[13] It became a significant instrument in progressive rock during the early 1970s,^[14] and became a featured instrument in ska and reggae.^[15] 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.^[16] Jazz organists, including Joey DeFrancesco and Barbara Dennerlein, have continued to feature the Hammond organ into the 21st century.^[17][18]

A

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Don Airey	b. 1948	C-3 A-100	Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple[19]	Used Jon Lord's old C-3 upon joining Deep Purple, but prefers the A-100.[20]
	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.[21]
	Tori Amos	b. 1963	B-3	Y Kant Tori Read	Played a Hammond on her 2005 album The Beekeeper.[22]
	Rod Argent	b. 1945	B-3	The Zombies, Argent[23]	Solo on 1972 hit single "Hold Your Head Up" cited by Rick Wakeman as "the greatest organ solo ever".[24]
	Brian Auger	b. 1939	L-100 B-3	Julie Driscoll, The Trinity, The Oblivion Express	Played without a Leslie speaker.[25]

B

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Joe Bagg	b. 1967	B-3[26]	Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra,[27] Anthony Wilson	Featured on Downbeat Magazine's rising stars for organ (2011[28]-present[29])
	Tony Banks	b. 1950	L-122 T-102	Genesis	Bought a L-122 when the band was formed,[30] which was replaced by a T-102.[31]
	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.[32]
	Nickey Barclay	b. 1951[33]	TTR-100[34] C-3	Fanny[35][36]
	Peter Bardens	1944–2002	C-3	Shotgun Express, Camel, Van Morrison[37]
	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.[38]
	James Brown	1933–2006[39]	B-3[40]		Used the same model for 20 years, calling it "The Godfather", and played it on sessions for other artists.[41]
	Milt Buckner	1915–1977	B-3[42]	The Hammond Organ Trio	Pioneered the use of the Hammond organ in jazz.[43]
	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.[44]
	Jerry Burke	1911–1965		Lawrence Welk	Organist for Lawrence Welk from 1934 until his death. Published several volumes of organ arrangements.[45]

C

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Tony Carey	b. 1953		Rainbow, Over The Rainbow[46]
	Felix Cavaliere	b. 1942		The (Young) Rascals, Steven Van Zandt's 'Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul', Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band[47]	Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee [48]
	Bill Champlin	b. 1947	Sk1-73 & B-3	Keyboard player with US band Sons of Champlin and Wunderground.[49]	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[50]
	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.[51]
	Rob Collins	1965–1996		The Charlatans[52]
	Tom Coster	b. 1941[53]	B-3[54]	Santana, John McLaughlin[55]
	Vincent Crane	1943–1989	C-3	The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster[56]
	Hank Crawford		B-3		Bought a B-3 in 1956, having already accomplished several other instruments.[57]
	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.[58]

D

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Jackie Davis	1920–1999	B-3[59]
	Wild Bill Davis	1918–1995[60]	C-3	Floyd Smith, Johnny Hodges	American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger.[61]
	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.[62]
	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.[63]
	"Papa" John DeFrancesco	b. 1940	B-3[64]		Father of Joey DeFrancesco.
	Barbara Dennerlein	b. 1964	B-3		Has achieved particular critical acclaim for use of the bass pedals,[17] 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.[65]
	Bill Doggett	1916–1996		Billy Butler	Co-wrote and recorded the instrumental "Honky Tonk" in 1956.[66]
	Tyrone Downie	b. 1956		Bob Marley and the Wailers	Used on "No Woman, No Cry" on the album Live![67]

E

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Charles Earland	1941–1999[68][69]	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.[70]
	John Evan	b. 1948	C-3	Jethro Tull[71]

F

Image	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.[72]
	Danny Federici	1950–2008	B-3	Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band[73]
	Mike Finnigan	1945–2021	B-3	Jimi Hendrix,[12] 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".[74]
	Henry Ford	1863–1947	A[5]

G

Image	Name	Lifetime	Models played	Associated acts	Notes
	Mick Gallagher	b. 1945	C-3	Ian Dury, The Blockheads, The Animals, Peter Frampton, The Clash[75]
	George Gershwin	1898–1937	A[5]
	Larry Goldings	b. 1968	B-3[76]	Maceo Parker, Peter Bernstein
	Dave Greenfield	(1949–2020)	L-100	The Stranglers[77]
	Dave Greenslade	b. 1943		Greenslade, Colosseum	Focused on Hammond organ in Greenslade while Dave Lawson played synthesizers.[78]

H

Image	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.[79]
	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.[80]
	Alexander Hawkins	b. 1981			As part of the trio Decoy.[81]
	Isaac Hayes	1942–2008[82]	B-3	Stax Records	Used on Hot Buttered Soul.[83]
	Cory Henry	b. 1987	B-3	Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles[84]
	Ken Hensley	1945-2020	B-3	Uriah Heep[85]
	Milt Herth[86]	1902–1969[87]
	Christopher Holland[88]	b. 196?			Brother of Jools Holland.[89]
	Richard "Groove" Holmes	1931–1991	B-3, X-77, Concorde[90]	Gene Ammons, Les McCann, Gerald Wilson
	John Hondorp	b. 1964	A-100, B-3, HX-3	Unit Records[91]

I

J