What is the secret for Beres Hammond’s enduring success in music?

Reggae’s timeless idol Beres Hammond has enjoyed tremendous success in the music industry since he waltz onstage in 1978 at the ‘One Love Peace Concert’ at the National Stadium in Kingston and crooned ‘One Step Ahead.’

In his decorated career, the bankable singer has since penned a lifetime of hits songs including favorites like ‘Rockaway,’ ‘In Love With You,’ ‘What One Dance Can Do,’ ‘I Am Alive,’ ‘Double Trouble’ and ‘Putting Up Resistance.’ In the 80’s he cemented his name with the smash ‘Tempted to Touch’ and subsequent albums ‘Love Affair,’ ‘Full Attention’ (1993), ‘In Control’ (1994), ‘Love From a Distance’ (1996), ‘A Day In The Life’ (1998), ‘Music is Life’ (2011), ‘One Love One Life’ (2012) and his new album ‘Never Ending’ (2018) which topped reggae charts globally.

What is the secret for Hammond’s enduring success? In a backstage interview in New York recently with Sir David Rodigan of BBC 1Xtra the ‘Rockaway’ singer attempted to answer the question.

“I wish I knew…and I don’t want to know as long as it (the hits) keeps coming” he said.

Hammond shared with Rodigan, a little know secret about his songwriting technique.

“To be honest with you…I never actually put pen to paper. It (hit songs) just flow. What’s inside of you comes right out” he confessed.