Albert Hammond, Jr.

Best known as the Strokes' rhythm (and occasional lead) guitarist, Albert Hammond, Jr., is also the son of singer/songwriter Albert Hammond, whose hits include "It Never Rains in Southern California," "When I Need You," and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before." Born in Los Angeles, Hammond went to the prestigious Swiss boarding Le Institut le Rosey as a teenager, where he met future Strokes singer Julian Casablancas. When Hammond moved to New York City to attend New York University's film school in the late '90s, he reconnected with Casablancas, and the Strokes were born. While Casablancas is the band's chief songwriter, Hammond co-wrote Room on Fire's "Automatic Stop" and also wrote songs that appeared on the Strokes' 2001 tour video, In Transit. Hammond revamped and renamed these tracks and included them on his solo debut album, Yours to Keep, which featured bassist Josh Lattanzi and drummer Matt Romano as his main support. A host of indie celebrities, including Casablancas, Sean Lennon, Ben Kweller, Fountains of Wayne's Jody Porter, and the Strokes' manager, Ryan Gentles, also appeared on the album, which was released on Rough Trade in fall 2006 in the U.K. and early in 2007 on New Line in the U.S. Bassist Marc Philippe Eskenazi joined Hammond's band for 2008's ¿Como Te Llama?, which was released worldwide that summer. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi