King Hammond is the Grammy award winning musician Nick Welsh. Nick started the King Hammond project in 1987 (while he was still a member of Bad Manners) he recorded 3 songs "Skaville UK", "King Hammond Shuffle" & "Right On King Hammond" for use on various Ska compilation albums with the idea of getting the King Hammond brand of music known on the Ska & Reggae scene. The plan worked very nicely for the King with the tracks getting radio play and good reviews in the press.

Nick was also the long-time bassist in reformed Selecter along with original band members Pauline Black & Neol Davies being in a band like the Selecter demands the commitment of time & energy so the King Hammond project took a back seat whilst the Selecter were touring & recording.

The next sighting of King Hammond was when while producing what turned out to be the last Judge Dread album "Dread, White & Blue" he & the judge recorded "Big Organ" a piece of psychedelic reggae, announcing to the world that 'King Hammond will play for you' at least one person must have taken this as being gospel because a few months after it's release Nick received a call from a promoter asking him if he would be interested in putting together a band to be the band behind Laurel Aitken and Dave Barker but also to perform as King Hammond at The Easter Ska Jam '98.

Inspired by those gigs Nick went back into the studio in 2000 to record tracks for what was intended to be a Dave Barker/King Hammond album, at the last moment this concept was changed by the record company, so what could have been a fantastic collaboration between the airing was not to be. For Nick this began a long sabbatical from his King Hammond persona, a sabbatical that lasted until early 2010 when out of the blue he announced that he would be releasing the first new King Hammond album in 20 years "The King & I" on his own N.1. Records label.

Described by Nick as 'Rude Boy Music for today' the King mixes classic Skinhead Reggae rhythms, penning lyrics to match the music ranging from knife and gun crime through to politicians, infidelity, London Markets & pure love songs.

There have been 3 King Hammond albums released in just over 2 years "Jacuzzi", "Showbiz!" and "Dancing In The Garden Of Evil" plus 2 vinyl only 4 track E.P'.s "Riot In London Town" and "Mr DJ". He recently contributed "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" to "Specialized" a compilation album of contemporary bands takes on Specials songs.

On the live circuit King Hammond has been very much in demand performing in the UK and further afield, new for 2013 will be the release of a new album "Hot Skin Music", once again the King will take his brand of Rude Boy Music around the globe.

Nick can claim to have worked or recorded with Ska & Reggae "real deal artists" such as Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Judge Dread, Dave Barker & Rico & in 2002 Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Nick has also fronted two bands of his own Big 5 with Jennie Bellestar (Belle Stars) & John Bradbury (The Specials) releasing three albums. He was also as a member of 3 Men & Black, an acoustic 'super group' alongside Jake Burns (SLF), J.J Burnel (The Stranglers), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), Dave Wakeling (The Beat), Roddy Radiation (The Specials) & Pauline Black (The Selecter) and also with Rhoda Dakar. For more info on King Hammond check out the web site