By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
This is what you’d call a real “Family Event.”
The Hammonds Family Band will perform Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in concert.
For Shawn Hammonds, who celebrated birthday 53 on the 19th of June, it marks somewhat of a homecoming.
“I grew up in Newport,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune in a recent phone conversation, “Playing music.”
What else.
His dad – Frank – performed locally in his Kentucky Express Band. “And I played drums with his band when I was around 11 and 12,” Shawn recalls.
“When I was 18,” he said, “I fronted the band, Wing It, and the first place we performed – Bobby Mackey’s.”
So, Thursday should be a reunion of sorts for Hammonds and his family.
“I moved to Nashville when I turned 21,” he said, “It was on July 9, 1992 to be exact, and met a singer – Daryle Singletary – and we became roommates.”
From 1995 and 1998 Singletary recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums – Daryle Singletary in 1995, All Because of You in 1996 and Ain’t it the Truth in 1998.
In the same er timespan, Singletary entered the Top 40 of the Hot Country Songs charts five times, reaching No. 2 with “I Let Her Lie,” and “Amen Kind of Love,” and No. 4 with “Too Much Fun.”
Some of that success must’ve rubbed off on Shawn, because after his wedding in 1996 – his wife Caralyn moved from Dry Ridge to Nashville to become a singer – the couple played and sang on the Thunder record label.
Colter, their first son was born in ’09 – the soon-to-be star – Caysen was next, in 2012.
“He (Caysen) was obsessed with Johnny Cash when he was seven,” dad Shawn says. “He was singing Folsom Prison in Nashville’s Music City Bar when he was eight. Then he learned guitar, and we made him part of the show.”
In fact, dad says he could walk off the stage and let Caysen handle it alone. The young star also plays drums and bass.
Fast forward to 2023 – the formation of the HonkyTonk Daycare Band. “It was born out of weekly afternoon jam sessions at that Music City Bar and Grill,” Shawn said. “Three young boys –Kash Whitley Mellons (11), Caysen Hammonds (11) and Ryman Shafer Frizzell (7) grew up in the Nashville music scene, gravitating to pure country and the stage before they could walk.”
The band made their official debut during the 2023 Keith Whitley Tribute Concert at the Nashville Palace opening the show for Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Ken Mellons and T. Graham, Brown, among others.
“They brought the house down,” Shawn remembers, “And earned a standing ovation.”
The Hammonds Family Band will perform on the 27th – dad Shawn, wife Caralyn and the star – Caysen.
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The music runs from 7-9 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for members and youth ages 13-18 and free for children 12 and under. No outside alcohol is permitted. Adult beverages will be available for purchase. Guests should bring their own folding chairs or blankets. In case of rain, it will be moved inside.
The performances will also be recorded and available at a later date on the museum’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/bcmuseum.