Hali Hammer is an award-winning singer-songwriter who is experienced at playing in varied styles and settings. She is inspired to write by what she observes in the world around her, most often composing songs with a funny or positive slant, although she is not shy about tackling serious issues head-on. She performs with her lead guitarist Randy Berge, who is a songwriter as well.
After moving to the Bay Area from her native New York, she joined Freedom Song Network in 1985 and was a member of the chorus that sang onstage behind Nelson Mandela at the Oakland Coliseum. Her song Bottom of the Ninth was aired on KNBR/San Francisco preceding the first game of the 1989 Bay Bridge World Series. She became active in the San Francisco Folk Music Club — she is currently the Vice President — and was the coordinator of the 2003 Berkeley Free Folk Festival. She worked with Country Joe McDonald, organizing a Protest Music Festival which was held at the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship for several years.
Hali has recorded five CDs: I Refuse to Believe, Gypsy-O, The Best of Hali Hammer, Eclectic Circus and Days of My Life. She has many videos on YouTube, which can also be found on her website, www.halihammer.com