Editing Stuart Hamm (section)

==Career==
Born in [[New Orleans]], Hamm spent his childhood and youth in [[Champaign, Illinois]], where he studied bass and piano, played in the stage band at Champaign Central High School, and was selected to the Illinois All-State Band. Hamm graduated from [[Hanover High School (New Hampshire)|Hanover High]] in [[Hanover, New Hampshire]] in 1978, while living in [[Norwich, Vermont]]. Following high school, he attended the [[Berklee College of Music]] in [[Boston]], where he met guitarist [[Steve Vai]] and, through him, met [[Joe Satriani]]. Hamm played bass on Vai's debut solo album, ''[[Flex-Able]]'', which was released in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stu Hamm|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/stu-hamm|access-date=2021-07-30|website=NAMM.org}}</ref>

Hamm has performed and recorded with [[Steve Vai]], [[Frank Gambale]], [[Joe Satriani]] and many other well-respected guitarists.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> It was his playing live on tour with Satriani that brought Hamm's skills to national attention.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> Subsequent recordings with Satriani and other rock/fusion artists, along with the release of his own solo recordings, solidified his reputation as a bassist and performer.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=200}}</ref>