Rosie Hamlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosie Hamlin
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Hamlin c. 1961
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rosalie Hamlin |
| Born | July 21, 1945 Klamath Falls, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2017 (aged 71) Belen, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
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| Years active | 1960–1963, 2002 |
| Associated acts | Rosie and the Originals |
Rosalie "Rosie" Hamlin (July 21, 1945 – March 30, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. She was the lead singer of the group Rosie and the Originals. Rosie is best known for their 1960 hit song "Angel Baby". This song became very popular in 1961 when Rosie was only 15 years old.
Rosie Hamlin continued to perform at concerts until 2002. She then stopped performing live because of a health condition called fibromyalgia. Her famous song "Angel Baby" was sung by many other artists. These included Linda Ronstadt and John Lennon, who said Rosie was one of his favorite singers. Rosie Hamlin was also the first Latina artist to be honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was also the first Latina to appear on Dick Clark's TV show American Bandstand in 1961.
Rosie Hamlin's Early Life
Rosalie "Rosie" Méndez Hamlin was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 21, 1945. Her mother was from Mexico, and her father had Anglo-American family roots. Rosie spent parts of her childhood in Anchorage, Alaska and California. Later, her family moved to National City, California.
Rosie came from a musical family. Both her father and grandfather were musicians. They had experience in vaudeville, which was a type of theater show. Rosie started singing with a band when she was 13 years old. She wrote the lyrics for "Angel Baby" as a poem. She wrote it for her first boyfriend when she was 14. At that time, she was still a student at Mission Bay High School in San Diego, California. Rosie also learned to play the piano when she was a child.
Rosie Hamlin's Music Career
When Rosie was 15, she and her friends wanted to record "Angel Baby". They rented the only recording studio they could find near San Diego. The studio was in San Marcos, California. It was owned by an airplane mechanic who had made it from part of his hangar.
After recording the song, they took the master recording to a department store in San Diego. They convinced a manager to play it in the store's music listening booth. Teenagers loved the song! A talent scout from Highland Records then offered the group a recording contract. The company wanted to own the master recording. They also wanted David Ponce, the oldest member, to be listed as the songwriter. Rosie and her band performed six shows with Jackie Wilson in New York City in late 1960.
"Angel Baby" first played on the radio in November 1960. This was even before the group had their contract. The song, featuring Rosie's clear soprano voice, was also played by disc jockey Alan Freed. When the group signed their contract, Rosie found out she could not collect royalties from the song. This was because she was not listed as the songwriter. This led to the group breaking up. Rosie later got the copyright to her music in 1961.
"Angel Baby" reached number 5 on the Billboard Singles Chart. On March 30, 1961, Rosie appeared with Rosie and the Originals on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. They performed "Lonely Blue Nights". This made Rosie the first Latina to appear on that TV show.
In 2001, Rosie Hamlin released an album called Angel Baby Revisited. It included her original songs and other performances. It also had a Spanglish version of "Angel Baby". This version had lyrics that switched between English and Spanish. She performed at some concerts in 2002, including at Madison Square Garden. After this, she officially stopped performing because of her health.
Rosie Hamlin's Legacy
Rosie Hamlin's song "Angel Baby" was a favorite of John Lennon. He even sang his own version of the song in 1975. Rosie was the first Latina artist to be honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was recognized on their Wall of One-Hit Wonders. In July 2007, a concert was held to honor Rosie Hamlin. It took place at the Pearson Park Amphitheater in Anaheim, California.
