Albert Hammond to receive award from Spanish Music Academy

SPAIN (Agencies) Gibraltarian musician Albert Hammond, OBE, is to receive one of Spain's top music awards from the Academy of Music Arta and Sciences, on May 18. The Premio de Honor Latino comes as recognition for Hammond's contribution to that art over many years. The singer, composer and producer has lent creativity and talent to the recent history of music, not only through songs such as 'It Never Rains in Southern California' and 'The Air That I Breathe', among many others, according to the award citation. Hammond has written songs, many with Mike Hazelwood, for the top artists of the era, including Julio Iglesias, Raphael, Tina Turner, Celine Dion and Duffy. Although he was born in London where his parents were evacuated during WW2, he and they returned to Gibraltar where he was brought up. (Find out more on Wikipedia.)