George Hamilton IV (born July 19, 1937, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to pop-country and folk music.
On June 18, 1956, while a 19-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamilton recorded "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" for Chapel Hill record label, Colonial Records. The song, written by John D. Loudermilk, climbed to number 6 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart. By 1960, "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" had attained gold record status for ABC-Paramount (who had acquired the song from Colonial). The B-side of the record, "If You Don't Know," revealed Hamilton's ambitions to be a country singer. In late 1959, Hamilton moved his family to Nashville, Tennessee to further his work as a country musician. On February 8, 1960, Hamilton officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Later that same year, he began recording for RCA Records, having been signed by Chet Atkins.
Hamilton's breakthrough hit was the 1961 song "Before This Day Ends." His biggest hit came two years later with "Abilene," another song penned by Loudermilk. The song spent four weeks in the number 1 spot on Billboard's country singles chart and reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100. The success of "Abilene" was followed with the song "Fort Worth, Dallas or Houston" (a Top 5 hit in late 1964).
By the mid-1960s, Hamilton's music began showing a decidedly folk influence. This was especially evident with 1966's "Steel Rail Blues" and "Early Morning Rain" (both by Gordon Lightfoot), and 1967's "Urge For Going." Another 1967 hit was "Break My Mind." One more George Hamilton IV song of this genre was a moderate hit in 1969 - the Ray Griff penned "Canadian Pacific." His last Top 5 single came in 1970, with "She's a Little Bit Country."
After his American chart success declined in the early 1970s, Hamilton began touring the world, across the Soviet Union, Australia, the Middle East and East Asia. These widely-acclaimed international performances earned Hamilton the nickname 'The International Ambassador of Country Music'.He also hosted several successful television programs in the UK and Canada during the 1970s, and in the 1990s he played himself in the West End musical, Patsy, based on the life of Patsy Cline.
Hamilton is still a regular at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and in country shows throughout the U.S. and the UK. He mainly concentrates on gospel tours both at home and abroad. In 2007 he collaborated with 'Live Issue a group from Northern Ireland to record a live album based on the life of Joseph Scriven, who wrote the hymn, "What A Friend We Have in Jesus." The two also toured together again in 2009.
12” LP
11 Tracks: Featuring:
- Abilene
- Fort Worth Dallas or Houston
- Break My Mind
- A Rose And A Baby Ruth
- Before This day Ends
- Why dont They Understand
- Early Morning Rain
- Steel Rail Blues
- Take My hand For A while
- Urge For Going
- Three Steps to The Phone
Condition: Near Mint
Sleeve: Excellent
Released on the RCA Label
Date: 1970
Number: LSA 3005
All vinyl is played prior to dispatch to ensure good playback.
If you require further info` contact me.
Record Grading
The grading system I use when determining the condition of the vinyl is The 'Record Collectors' Grading System, taken from the Rare Record Price Guide book.
Mint (M) The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
Near Mint (NM) The record looks brand new with no scuffing or any deterioration in sound quality and only the smallest hint that its ever been played. The cover and any additional extras are clean, crisp and with no wear whatsoever.
Excellent (EX) The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
Very Good (VG) The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
Good (G) The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.
Fair (F) The record is still just about playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
Poor (P) The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
I will not refund you if have not read and understood the grading system I use.
To illustrate my point: if I describe a record as Good (G), it's not brand new or excellent - sound quality has noticeably deteriorated and the cover may be damaged with splits or discoloration.
