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Jimmy Smith
The man who effectively introduced and popularised the Hammond organ in popular
music, Jimmy Smith first went on stage at the age of six, joining his father
performing song and dance routines. Smith taught himself to play piano and at
the age of nine he won a radio talent contest in Philadelphia playing boogie
woogie piano. After serving in the navy he studied music at the Royal Hamilton
College of Music and the Leo Ornstein School of Music and first started playing
Hammond organ in 1951 in bands like Don Gardner & the Sonotones. Organ then
became his main instrument and, after s...
