Hilton Valentine, the founding guitarist of animals, dead at 77



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Hilton Valentine, the original Animals guitarist who featured on songs like “The House of the Rising Sun,” died on Friday at the age of 77.

ABKCO Music, the band’s label, confirmed Valentine’s death on Friday. “Our deepest condolences go to [Valentine]family and friends of his death this morning at the age of 77, ”writes the label. “Founding member and original guitarist of The Animals, Valentine was a pioneering guitarist who influenced the sound of rock and roll for decades to come. No cause of death has been revealed.

Animal singer Eric Burdon wrote on social media on Friday, “Rising Sun’s opening opus will never sound the same again!… You didn’t just play it, you lived it! Heartbroken by the sudden news of Hilton’s passing. We had a great time together, Geordie lad. From northern shields to the whole world… Rock In Peace. “

Valentine is the founding guitarist of Animals, which he formed in 1963 alongside Burton, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel. British group Invasion specializing in R&B covers, the Animals won a number one single on both sides of the Atlantic in the summer of 1964 with their hit “The House of the Rising Sun”, featuring the iconic intro of Valentine’s day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fy7opKu46c

Within two years, the original Animals lineup released a series of rock classics like “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (issue 322 on Rolling stonelist of the 500 greatest songs of all time), “We Gotta Get Out of the Place” (number 235) and “It’s My Life”.

“It was really Hilton who made the first Animals into a rock band because I didn’t think the rock element was in the band until we found it,” Burdon told Guitar International ( via ABKCO). “At that time, Hilton wasn’t just playing rock and roll, he sounded like rock and roll. There was a guy with the greased strand of hair combed back, a cheap leather jacket, picking shoes, black jeans and a smile on his face playing through an echoplex, which was a secret weapon to the time.

After the original Animals lineup disbanded in 1966, Valentine attended reunions in 1975 and 1983, and led his own “Animals” factions until 2001. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the original animals in 1994.

“In recent years Valentine, who lived in Connecticut, returned to skiffle music and formed the band Skiffledog which toured in the US and UK and released 2 albums,” wrote ABKCO. “We also find him on stage with the big garage bands, The Woggles and The Headless Horsemen, with whom he has become friends. In 2011 he recorded a holiday album with Big Boy Pete called Happy Skifflemas! referred to on the packaging as a ‘festive mix of old traditional and original beginners’. He joined Eric Burdon on tour in 2007-08, with whom he remained close.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7RTUEZMyg



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