History Makers: George Hamilton IV

George Hamilton on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: INTERVIEW

Born: July 19, 1937

Died: Sept 17, 2014

Billboard Magazine once christened Winston-Salems own George Hamilton IV as the International Ambassador of Country Musicand the title couldnt have been more fitting. With his engaging personality and tender vocal style, Hamilton helped spread American country music across the globe.

He was the first American artist to record songs by Canadians Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell. In the 1960s he hosted country music TV shows in Canada, England, and Ireland. He toured Australia, Japan, and across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The British Country Music Association named him honorary life president, and The Guardian (a British daily newspaper) postulated that The growth of country music in Britain was due in no small way to the efforts of George Hamilton IV. Finally, in 1974 he became the first American country artist to perform behind Europes Iron Curtain.

Hamiltons ascent in country music can be traced back to his grandfathers radio in Winston-Salem. He was born and raised in the Twin City, where his parents, George III and Mary Lillian, raised him in a loving, deeply devout Moravian home. His grandfather, George II, a railroad man, turned him on to country music, listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio.

Interestingly, Hamilton began his career as a pop/rock singer. In 1956, the clean-cut 19-year-old entered a recording studio on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill and recorded the single, A Rose and a Baby Ruth. The song would reach No. 6 on Billboards rock chart and sell over a million copies. Two years later he made a surprising move by abandoning rock to record country music, eventually hitting No. 1 on the country charts with Abilene, his best-known song.

In a career that lasted 58 years, Hamilton released 40 albums with 11 top-10 songs. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1960, was inducted into the N.C. Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and received multiple Grammy nominations. He also helped persuade the Country Music Association in Nashville to develop Fan Fare, now called the CMA Music Festival.

In June 1958 he married his high school sweetheart, Adelaide Tinky Peyton. A lifelong student of history and people, he was often found giving impromptu tours to fans at the Grand Ole Opry. USA Today wrote of him, In a business populated by brash and outlandish stars, Hamilton traded on subtlety, gentility, and decency.

Source: http://www.journalnow.com/winstonsalemmonthly/history-makers-george-hamilton-iv/article_98b4ba4c-2f0e-11e5-b75a-db71f05a2346.html