His last name Hammond, is his adopted name from his step-father Raymond Hammond. Before his birth, his mother Mildred was married to another man and became involved in an extra-marital affair which lead to her pregnancy with Fred. Her first husband left her. On a Radio show with Donnie McClurkin, Fred revealed that his mother had shared a dark secret with him before her death. After her first husband left her, she attempted to have Fred aborted. In 1960, she went to an illegal abortion clinic and had the procedure done. When it failed, she informed the clinic and rescheduled an appointment to "correct mistake." After a failed second attempt, she took this as a sign from God that this baby was supposed to be born and left the clinic. She gave birth to Fred in 1961. Some time after he was born, she married Raymond Hammond and gave birth to two sons Raymond Jr. and Dave. Raymond Sr. died of bowel cancer at the age of 32, when Fred was only 8 years old.
