Fred Hammond is about nothing if not purpose. And his latest CD, God, Love & Romance, his purpose is simple.

"In the church today, we are losing relationships,” Hammond shares. And in response, the 51-year-old GRAMMY Award-winning artist, ranked fourth on the list of gospel’s best-selling brands, set out to give his own personal homage to marriage and keeping the church family together.

The fact that releasing a love album is considered a "no-no" for gospel singers is a point not lost on Hammond, who was all too aware of the risky subject matter when he decided to record the album.

"Love songs for gospel artists are taboo... There was a chance for me to lose it all,” reports Hammond of the project, which features such tracks as the jazzy “When I Come Home to You” and "You Are My Love Come True."
    
The songs are a window into the soul of the near 30-year gospel veteran who helped to pioneer the contemporary movement with the formation of Commissioned in the mid-'80s and then later ushered in worship and praise with his award-winning ensemble, Radical For Christ.
    
“This album puts my heart on tape. It’s transparent,” he says.“It's not a kiss-and-tell and definitely not a bitter record. It’s just an honest record and I’m hoping that people will take that honesty home to each other for some honest dialogue.”

Take It Or Leave It
Understanding the intended audience, Verity executives convinced Hammond to do a double CD set – one CD of love songs and the other offering his standard urban gospel praise fare with all the bells and whistles, including guest vocals from Israel Houghton, J Moss and James Fortune.

“They were basically saying 'you probably need to make two [albums] if you really believe in this. At first, I sat there thinking 'man, this is the album, just get behind it.' But I believed in it and looking back, they were right.”

Hammond doesn’t see himself as stepping outside of the gospel bubble, but expanding it.

"Someone on iTunes really ripped into me hard. It made me upset, but it tickled me too. They said, ‘You’re not coming hard like Joe and R. Kelly,' and he named a bunch of secular artists. ‘They’re killing you. You need to go back to your old sound. Don’t step over here if you’re not ready.’

“And what they’re confused with is this: I purposely pulled back to make it more old-school – Peabo, a little Stevie, Al Jarreau, because I wasn’t trying to be slick. They’re used to listening music that makes you want to have sex. This is a love song album. This is not a lust song album.”

For every one negative comment, Hammond has received countless others embracing the new direction.

He recalls: “One man said, ‘I didn’t know what to expect and I figured it was going to be popcorn, bubblegum like the church normally does when they do a love song record. But when I got to your first song, “When I Get Home to You," the first verse crushed my pride, and tears started coming out of my eyes. I thought about how good a woman I had and how I had taken her for granted and not praised her like I should. It broke me down and I had to go home immediately and tell her.'"

That – Hammond says – is the outcome he was going for. Besides, he says, “It’s a double CD. If you don’t like it, go to the other side. We’ve got worship songs. Or don’t buy it.”

But listeners are. God, Love & Romance debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums Chart.

Up Close & Personal
“This is my song of Solomon,” Hammond adds. “In the years I've studied the Bible, the Lord puts everything in there – mercy, the cross, atonement and forgiveness, but it also talks about David and Bathsheba and how Jacob loved his wife so much that he worked seven years for her. Man, that’s romantic.

"I know what love feels like," says the divorced father of two, who was married for 17 years. "I know what the pain of it feels like and this is my weapon. If you get me to talk, I’m okay, but if you get me to sing, something else happens and the enemy knows that.”

It is a personal journey as well for Hammond. “I want the woman who's right for me,” he shares. “She has to be secure because I’m in the limelight and there are so many people who play games. My wife has to know how to get through the games.”

Hammond’s transparency, however, stops short of some of the more personal mistakes he’s made. “Oh, we’re not having that conversation," he laughs.

Given some recent tough times, Hammond is in a good spot.

"I went through a real terrible period here these last six years,” Hammond reveals. "We started the record label right at the beginning of the recession and the economy was eating our lunch. I didn’t have the best people around me. But God has removed those people from my life whether they thought it was their idea or whatever. Now I make the choices of who I let back in.”

Putting his record label on hold, he is concentrating on film, books and an upcoming God, Love & Romance tour in the fall.

“This, I believe, is going to open up an avenue for gospel music. If it were up to me I would have a show that played gospel and Frankie Beverly and they could call it whatever they want – inspirational, gospel... God doesn’t care. Just get the word out.”