George Hamilton performs on the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo
[Update]: A Ryman Auditorium memorial service has been set for Grand Ole Opry star George Hamilton IV, who died on Sept. 17. His life will be celebrated at the Ryman at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and the event is open to the public. Visitation for the long-tenured Opry star is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday at Williamson Memorial Funeral home, 3009 Columbia Ave. in Franklin. He will be buried at the Salem Moravian Graveyard in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Saturday, Sept. 27.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 251 N. Hawthorne Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27104, to the Oak Valley Baptist Church Building Fund, 1161 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin, TN 37064 or to the Opry Trust Fund, 2804 Opryland Dr., Nashville, TN 37214.
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[Original post]: Grand Ole Opry star George Hamilton IV, noted as an international popularizer of country music, has died at age 77.
He suffered a heart attack on Saturday and passed away on Wednesday at St. Thomas Midtown hospital. He has been a fixture in the Opry’s cast since 1960.
North Carolina native George Hamilton IV was a 19-year-old college student when he shot to fame with the teen-themed ballad “A Rose and a Baby Ruth.” The song was a top-10 pop hit in 1956 and also launched the career of its writer, John D. Loudermilk.
The hit led to tours with rock ‘n’ roll pioneers such as Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers and Gene Vincent. Hamilton followed it with such pop successes as “Only One Love” (1957), “Why Don’t They Understand” (1958) and “Now and For Always” (1958).
He recorded 1959’s “The Teen Commandments” with Paul Anka and Johnny Nash. He had his own TV series on ABC in 1959.
Hamilton made the transition to country music in 1960, scoring his first top-10 hit in the genre with “Before This Day Ends.” Other country hits of the early 1960s included Harlan Howard’s “Three Steps to the Phone” (1961), Bill Anderson’s “To You and Yours” (1961), Cindy Walker’s “China Doll” (1962) and his own composition “If You Don’t Know I Ain’t Gonna Tell You” (1962).
He turned to the Les Brown and Bob Gibson’s folk song, the gently loping 1963 hit “Abilene,” which became his signature song on the Opry. Other notable singles during this period included Maybelle Carter’s arrangement of “Fair and Tender Ladies” (1964) and Terry Fell’s landmark trucking song “Truck Driving Man” (1965).
In the mid 1960s, George Hamilton IV became noted for embracing the songs of such pop/folk singer-songwriters as Gordon Lightfoot (1966’s “Early Morning Rain”), Joni Mitchell (1967’s “Urge for Going”), Buffy Ste. Marie (1968’s “Take My Hand for Awhile”) and James Taylor (1969’s “Carolina in My Mind”).
He and Skeeter Davis recorded a 1970 duet of the hippie anthem by The Youngbloods “Let’s Get Together.” He also recorded the songs of such iconoclasts as Phil Ochs, John Hartford, Jim Rooney and Lee Clayton.
He was noted as a political liberal as well as a deeply committed Christian. He often appeared on the Billy Graham Crusades. He was an early booster of Fan Fair, which became the annual CMA Music Festival.
Hamilton’s willingness to tour overseas was another hallmark. He was well known in Europe and took his easy-going country sound to Russia. He had his own television show in Canada for six years during the 1970s. His prominence in Great Britain led to hosting his own BBC TV series. He taped two gospel TV specials in Israel. He starred in London’s first International Festival of Country Music in 1969.
In 1973, he embarked on what was billed as country music’s longest international tour. He became the first American to record an album in Eastern Europe. He has appeared in Sweden, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Holland, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere. These activities earned him the nickname, “Country Music’s International Ambassador.”
His U.S. hits continued in the early 1970s. “She’s a Little Bit Country” (1970), “Back Where It’s At” (1970), “Anyway” (1971) and “West Texas Highway” (1971) all became successful. During his long career, Hamilton placed 40 titles on the country-music charts.
George Hamilton IV was renowned for his gentility, politeness, hospitality and graciousness. He enjoyed reminiscing about Patsy Cline, Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, Chet Atkins and other country legends and often gave visitors backstage Opry tours.
He was the father of recording artist George Hamilton V, who has also been billed as “Hege V.” He published an autobiography in 2000 titled George Hamilton IV: Ambassador of Country Music.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
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Robert K. Oermann is a longtime contributor to MusicRow. He is a respected music critic, author and historian.View Author Profile
