With deepest sorrow, I convey the news of the passing of Ronnie Hammond on March 14, 2011. Ronnie had been living just north of his hometown, Macon, GA. He suffered a heart attack. He was 60 years old. Ronnie filled the world with his amazing voice, the beautiful music he wrote and his enormous heart. His ability to breathe life into a song and to give a recorded-track real human-emotion was truly profound. As our friend and band-mate Steve Stone put it, when Ronnie sings you not only hear the words, but you can "feel" them.

Ronnie moved to Atlanta to pursue his passion for music and first worked with Atlanta Rhythm Section as a studio-engineer. When ARS's original singer left the group to pursue other opportunities, Buddy Buie and Rodney Mills, the management and production team behind the band, felt Ronnie was the perfect answer for the band's vacant vocalist position. Of course, they were right and the rest would be music history.

Those of us fortunate enough to have worked with Ronnie are truly thankful for how deeply he has enriched our journeys. Since retiring in 2002, he has been dearly missed by his band-mates and his fans. Our sincerest condolences go to his family and all those who have been part of Ronnie's life.