Roy Hamilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roy Hamilton
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Hamilton in 1957
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rodothas Hamilton |
| Born | April 16, 1929 Leesburg, Georgia, United States |
| Died | July 20, 1969 (aged 40) New Rochelle, New York, United States |
| Genres | Traditional pop, show tunes, swing, vocal jazz, R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1947–1969 |
| Labels | Epic, MGM, RCA |
Roy Hamilton (born April 16, 1929 – died July 20, 1969) was a famous American singer. He was known for mixing a classical singing style with the strong feelings of traditional black gospel music. This unique blend helped bring soul to classic American songs.
Roy Hamilton had his biggest success from 1954 to 1961. During this time, he was the most popular artist for Epic Records. His most important songs were "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Unchained Melody". These songs became Epic's first two number-one hits on the Billboard R&B chart. "Unchained Melody" also reached number 6 on the US pop chart in May 1955. This made Hamilton the first solo artist from Epic to have a song in the top ten pop hits.
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Roy Hamilton was born in Leesburg, Georgia. He started singing in church choirs when he was just six years old. In 1943, when he was 14, his family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. There, he sang with the Central Baptist Church Choir, a very famous African American church choir.
At Lincoln High School, Roy studied commercial art. He was so good that some of his paintings were shown in art galleries in New York City.
In 1947, when he was 17, Roy won a talent show at the Apollo Theater. But this did not lead to a music career right away. He felt he did not have a unique sound. To support himself, he worked as an electronics technician. He also boxed as an amateur heavyweight at night, winning six out of seven fights.
In 1948, Roy joined the Searchlight Gospel Singers. He also took lessons in light opera for over a year. He kept singing gospel music until 1953, when the group broke up. Then, Roy decided to try pop music again, feeling he finally had a special style to share.
Roy married Corene Hamilton in 1948. They had five children: Rodothas Jr., Allan, Carolyn, Charnette, and Tyrone. They later divorced in 1960. Roy then married Myrna Hamilton, and they had two sons, Roy Jr. and Ray.
Music Career Highlights
Starting with Epic Records (1953–1956)
In 1953, Roy Hamilton was discovered singing in a club in Newark, New Jersey. Bill Cook, who became his manager, found him. Bill Cook was a famous African American radio DJ and TV personality. Cook made a demo tape of Roy's singing and showed it to Columbia Records.
Columbia Records was impressed and signed Roy to their R&B label, Okeh Records. On November 11, 1953, Roy made his first recordings. One of the songs was "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical Carousel. This song had been a favorite for Roy to sing live since 1947.
Before the song was released, Columbia moved Roy to their new "pop" label, Epic Records. In the early 1950s, only a few Black male singers like Nat King Cole were popular with white audiences. Epic saw that Roy Hamilton could also become a big "crossover" star. They promoted him heavily, saying "a great new voice makes news with a great song! Roy Hamilton, You’ll Never Walk Alone…"
Even with simple music, Roy's singing on "You'll Never Walk Alone" was amazing. It topped the Billboard R&B chart for eight weeks and became a national Top-30 hit. His next song, "If I Loved You," also from Carousel, reached number four on the R&B chart.
On July 24, 1954, Roy performed at a big concert in Chicago. He sang "Ebb Tide," a song he had not yet recorded. The audience of 82,000 people loved it and gave him a huge applause. Even other famous singers like Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan joined in. Four days later, Epic Records had Roy record "Ebb Tide," and it became his third hit song.
Roy made his first national TV appearance on September 11, 1954, on CBS's Stage Show. But his career really took off after he sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" on Ed Sullivan Show on March 6, 1955. A magazine called Variety said he sang the song with the "values of a spiritual," meaning it sounded very soulful and moving.
Soon after, Epic recorded Roy's version of "Unchained Melody". This song quickly became his second number-one R&B hit and his only top-ten US pop hit. In May 1955, Down Beat magazine named Roy Hamilton "Vocalist of the Year."
Later Career and Comeback (1956–1962)
In 1956, Roy Hamilton took a break from music because of a lung condition. When he returned over a year later, the music world had changed. Rock and roll was now very popular, and pop standards were not selling as well.
So, in late 1957, Epic Records encouraged Roy to record "Don't Let Go." This was an R&B rock song produced by Otis Blackwell, who wrote hits for Elvis Presley. By early 1958, "Don't Let Go" became Roy's second US top-15 pop hit. It was also one of the first top-40 hits recorded in stereo sound.
In 1959, Roy appeared in a Filipino movie called Hawaiian Boy, where he sang "Unchained Melody."
Roy's last big hit song was "You Can Have Her" in 1961. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Epic Records released 16 albums by Roy Hamilton, showing how much they believed in him.
Final Years (1963–1969)
By the mid-1960s, Roy Hamilton's career slowed down. He recorded with MGM and then RCA.
In January 1969, Roy made his last recordings in Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded at the same studio where Elvis Presley was also recording. Some of the songs released from these sessions included "The Dark End of the Street" and "It's Only Make Believe".
Death
In July 1969, Roy Hamilton had a serious brain bleed at his home in New Rochelle, New York. He was taken to the hospital and was in a coma for over a week. On July 20, 1969, he passed away at the age of 40.
Roy Hamilton Jr., Roy's son, shared in a 2017 BBC documentary that Elvis Presley sent a rose to Roy's wife, Myrna, every day Roy was in the hospital. After Roy died, Elvis continued to send flowers to Myrna for six months.
At the time of his death, Roy Hamilton had many debts. It is said that Elvis Presley helped pay for Roy's medical bills and funeral costs. At Roy's funeral, messages of sympathy were read from Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, and B.B. King.
Legacy and Influence
Roy Hamilton was a very important singer. He was added to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
He was Epic Records' first big star. His song "You'll Never Walk Alone" was the company's first number-one hit. A year later, "Unchained Melody" became their second number-one hit. Roy was also the first solo artist to get a top-ten pop hit for Epic.
Roy Hamilton inspired Sam Cooke, who was a gospel music star, to start singing pop music. Roy's unique sound also greatly influenced Elvis Presley's ballad singing. Elvis admired Roy's style and sang many of his own ballads in a similar way.
The singing group The Righteous Brothers also copied Roy Hamilton's style for their "blue-eyed soul" sound. You can hear this in their versions of his hits like "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Unchained Melody."
Roy Hamilton's recording of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was brought to the UK by a sailor friend of Gerry and the Pacemakers leader Gerry Marsden. The band then recorded their own version, which became the famous song for Liverpool Football Club. Fans sing it before every home game.
Discography
Roy Hamilton released many singles and albums during his career. His most famous singles include "You'll Never Walk Alone," "Unchained Melody," and "Don't Let Go." He released several studio albums like With All My Love and Mr. Rock and Soul, and many compilation albums of his greatest hits.
Film and Television Appearances
Roy Hamilton also appeared in movies and on television.
- 1958: Let's Rock, where he played himself.
- 1959: Hawaiian Boy, where he also played himself and sang "Unchained Melody."
He was a guest on many popular TV shows, including:
- Stage Show (1954)
- Ed Sullivan Show (1955)
- American Bandstand (several times between 1958 and 1961)
- The Steve Allen Show (1958, 1959)
- The Dick Clark Show (1959)
- The Mike Douglas Show (1964)
Images for kids
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Hamilton in 1957
