More than 40 years into a career that helped shape modern gospel music, Fred Hammond finally made his long-overdue NPR Tiny Desk debut — and he made the most of it.
As part of NPR’s Black Music Month series celebrating the legacy of BET, Hammond delivered a career-spanning set that touched nearly every era of his journey, from his days with Commissioned to the praise-and-worship anthems that have become staples in churches around the world.
The set opened with the recent track “Love Never Fails” before moving through favorites like “Celebrate (He Lives)” and “They That Wait.” Hammond also revisited his Commissioned roots with “Running Back to You,” the group’s 1986 hit that remains one of the most beloved songs in gospel music.
From there, the energy only built. Hammond performed “Jesus Be a Fence Around Me,” “No Weapon,” “You Are the Living Word” and “Let the Praise Begin,” drawing enthusiastic responses from the packed room. By the time he reached “We’re Blessed,” the audience was singing along so loudly you almost forget you’re in an office and not a Sunday morning service.
At one point, Hammond looked around the room and joked, “Tiny knows how to party in the Holy Ghost!”
For longtime fans, the performance served as a reminder of just how deep Hammond’s catalog runs. Few artists have had a bigger impact on contemporary gospel and praise-and-worship music, and the Tiny Desk format gave him space to move seamlessly between songs that have soundtracked church services, and personal devotion times for generations.
Watch the full set here:
