“Twistin’ King” Jack Hammer’s long-forgotten 1966 ballad celebrating queer love
Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Despite this, the song does not condemn same-sex love.
Accompanied by piano and a very 1960s-era flute, Hammer sings with an unjudging, observational eye.“When A Girl Loves A Girl” can be found on his album, Brave New World.Hammer was born Earl Solomon Burroughs on September 16, 1925, in Grovetown, Georgia.
He grew up in California, where he picked up the nickname Happy Feet because of his tap dancing skills. In the 1950s, he moved to New York City, where he worked as an MC at the Baby Grand Theatre.In New York, he began to write songs under the pseudonym Jack Hammer.
He wrote for others and also released songs himself from the mid-50s onwards.One song he wrote was called “Great Balls of Fire.” Hammer submitted it to songwriter Paul Case.
