David Robert "Hammy" Hemingway (born September 20, 1960), was a lead vocalist for Hull-based group The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007. Previously, he had been a member of The Housemartins. Hemingway was the son of a lorry driver and local comedian on the club circuit, Harry Hemingway. Harry had quite a reputation as a Lothario, and left his wife to raise their two kids on her own. In Hull's Henry Cooper School, Hemingway was in the same class as The Housemartins' future drummer, Hugh Whitaker. The two shared an interest in drumming, and one day, when the class were asked who would like to learn drums, they put their hands up first. Hemingway developed quite a habit of following Whitaker into bands, first the Newpolitans with Dave Rotheray on bass, and then the Velvetones. His lucky break came when he got a call from Rotheray telling him Whitaker had left The Housemartins. Rotheray recommended him to Housemartins guitarist Stan Cullimore, who rang him just 10 minutes later. He was working as a purchase ledger clerk at the time. Hemingway quit his job on March 6, 1987, and soon found himself in the studio, recording the band's second album, The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. After the Housemartins disbanded, he and Housemartins founder Paul Heaton soon put together the Beautiful South from its ashes, featuring roadie and bassist Sean Welch.
Going Solo
His first solo album, Hello Cruel World, has been released and is available as a download only on iTunes. The album's title was inspired by Hemingway's experience recording in the capital. It features a wide array of styles, from stripped-down acoustic and piano ballads to full band workouts and even some more contemporary electronic influences.
References
- Pattenden, Michael (1999) Last Orders at the Liars Bar. ISBN 0-575-06739-X
