When he’s not tending to his duties as a husband, foster parent, and pharmaceutical proofreader, Don Hammontree is working on his art. The musician and painter often spends time at the Panera Bread in Vinnin Square in search of inspiration and to work on his projects.
The Illinois native first moved to the North Shore at the turn of the century, however his passion for making music started long before that.
“It all started right before Christmas of 1983,” Hammontree recalled. “And I saw this keyboard at the local department store… I got it for Christmas and I played it faithfully for years until I went off to college.”
More than 40 years later, Hammontree still has his Casiotone MT-40. Nowadays, the guitar is his primary instrument. Hammontree was a part of multiple bands throughout his music career, with his most recent group known as Bad Fogelberg.
“Dan Fogelberg, the singer, he went to my high school. He was from Peoria, so that was kind of a tribute to him,” Hammontree said. “Technically that band has never ended, we put out a CD in 2017.”
A moment that helped fortify Hammontree’s passion for music was when he got to meet and interview guitarist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple during his time as a freelance journalist for the Boston Herald.
“He’s my hero, absolute hero,” Hammontree said. “May 16, 2011. I remember the date.”
“House of Pizza” is the title of Hammontree’s most recent album, which features 12 songs he wrote.
Hammontree’s passion for visual art developed later in life. The Salem resident recalled drawing a lot in his earlier life before music became his main creative outlet.
“When my daughter was little we were drawing together and she was saying, ‘Daddy, you draw pretty good,’” Hammontree said. “So I think that was a push.”
Hammontree’s paintings vary from fantastical incorporations of brutalist architecture all around the world, to quaint portraits of a Swampscott couple sitting on a bench on Lynn Shore Drive. His works have been featured in multiple libraries in the area, and he sells his pieces both in person and online.
When it comes to balancing everything in his busy life, Hammontree credits his wife of five years, Vicki Lepoutre, for her encouragement of his artistic pursuits. Hammontree proposed to Lepoutre on King’s Beach in 2017.
Hammontree’s oldest biological daughter, Liliana, is following in her father’s footsteps as an artist.
He also said that the ability to work from home, both for his job and his creative pursuits, has been a big help.
“Most of what I’m able to do is around the house,” Hammontree said. “It’s not like when I was back in Chicago and we were rehearsing in practice spaces and playing a million bars from here to Indiana. I feel like I’m a lot more present.”
