Bob Hammett

Click below to hear a sample of Bob's work
Good Rockin'.wav (1 MB)	Good Rockin'.mp3 (728k)

Bob also plays keyboards and bass guitar and has been with Butch Wax & The Hollywood's since its inception in 1986. "As a guitar player I would have to say that I grew up listening to Chuck Berry, Johnny Rivers, The Ventures, and The Beatles and was influenced by all of them. Listening to these great musicians on an AM Radio, I never dreamed that I would one day be on the same stage playing guitar with Johnny Rivers, or in the studio with John Sebastian from The Lovin Spoonful, or playing in a band opening up for Chuck Berry, The Association, The Rascals, and others".

Prior to Butch Wax & The Hollywood's, Bob played in the groups "Chaser", "Sound Investment", "Warthog", and "Friends". Bob played on the TV Show "Shindig" back in 1966 and his guitar kept him company while he served the country in Viet Nam in the mid 60's. Many of the songs that are part of the Butch Wax song list today are songs that Bob played when they were "new" back in the day. Bob turned 21 while serving in Viet Nam (see photo on Now & Then tab).

Another highlight for Bob is playing and recording with Johnnie Johnson, the real "Father of Rock & Roll". Bob says, "Johnnie was there when it all started and getting to know him and playing and recording with him has been a real honor." Butch Wax & The Hollywood's has given me the opportunity to play and record with many great musicians. To hear our CD's and songs on the radio and to play on live TV with the band has been an honor and thrill.

Bob can be emailed at:

Bob's Professional Equipment: 1968 Gibson Les Paul and 1990 Gibson SG Guitars and 1997 Fender Strat with a Fender Deluxe 90 amp.

Bob's Top 10 Favorites:

"Slow Dancin" – Johnny Rivers (Mine and Linda's first dance at our wedding)
"Whippin Post" – The Allman Brothers (No horns band)
"For What It's Worth" – Buffalo Springfield (Viet Nam Days)
"Secret Agent Man" – Johnny Rivers (watched program just to hear the song)
"The Letter" – Joe Cocker (favorite horn song)
"A Good Woman" – Johnnie Johnson (great JJ groove)
"Like a Rollin Stone" – Bob Dylan (great Hammond B3 organ)
"I Got a Line on You" – Spirit
"Mama Let Em Play" – Doucette
"Only Have Eyes For You" – The Flamingos (all time favorite slow song)

Butch Wax Highlight
A highlight I will always remember is doing the "Johnny and Johnnie Show" at the Casa Loma Ballroom (Johnny Rivers and Johnnie Johnson).

As a young boy (yes I was young once) playing in garage bands, Johnny Rivers was an idol of mine. If someone was to tell me one day that I would be on the same stage with him doing "Memphis" I wouldn't have believed it. Johnny Rivers started me on the road to guitar playing.

On the same stage with us was Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson. The title "Father of Rock & Roll" is a true description of Johnnie. Johnny Rivers started me off but Johnnie Johnson was now showing me how to do it with class. Always a gentleman, I learned a lot about how it was supposed to be done. He left and I still have so much to learn. Thanks Johnnie – playing with you was always a highlight.

Favorite Butch Wax Story
One of my many favorite Butch Wax stories is the night the "Lights went out in Union." Mike was on his way to having a great birthday. The band got him a nice present, but a Butch Wax fan didn't like the song the "stripper" was dancing to, so he decided to close the stage curtains, thus bringing down the stage lights. With the light tree crashing down on equipment (horns, keyboards, amps) the show was over. The police were called and I've never seen our light man, Tony that mad before. I think we made the Union paper the next day. We have never been back to Union, but the dance sure was a cutie.

That was a fun night for all, but not as funny as Tom O'Brien running over his horn with his car. I can still see him kneeling down in from of it with his hands in the air, looking up and moaning "no..no." It was so hard not to laugh out loud.

"Oh, my beautiful Stradivarius!"