Hilton Valentine, Animals’ original guitarist who participated in 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 in his death this morning, at the age of 77 ”, wrote 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 was revealed.
Animal singer Eric Burdon wrote on social media on Friday: “Rising Sun’s opening album will never sound the same! Heartbroken by the sudden news of Hilton’s death. We had a great time together, Geordie boy. From the North Shields to the whole world … Rock In Peace. “
Valentine was the founding guitarist for Animals, who formed in 1963 alongside Burton, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel. A British invasion band specializing in R&B covers, Animals reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic in the summer of 1964 with their hit “The House of the Rising Sun”, with the iconic Valentine’s introduction:
Over a two-year period, Animals’ original line-up launched a series of rock classics like “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misundersained” (Number 322 in Rolling Stonefrom the list of the 500 best songs of all time), “We have to move” (number 235) and “It’s my life”.
“It was really Hilton who made the first Animals a rock band, because I don’t think the rock element was in the band until we found it,” Burdon told Guitar International (via ABKCO). “At that time, Hilton didn’t just play rock ‘n’ roll, he looked like rock ‘n’ roll. Here was a guy with a wisp of greased back combed hair, a cheap leather jacket, black leather shoes, black jeans and a smile on his face playing through an ecoplex, which was a secret weapon at the time. “
After the original lineup of Animals was dissolved in 1966, Valentine attended meetings in 1975 and 1983, as well as leading his own “the Animals” factions until 2001. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of original animals in 1994.
“In recent years, Valentine, who lived in Connecticut, returned to skiffle music and formed the band Skiffledog that toured the United States and the United Kingdom and released 2 albums,” wrote ABKCO. “He could also be found on stage with the big garage bands, The Woggles and The Headless Horsemen, with whom he befriended. In 2011, he recorded a holiday album with Big Boy Pete called Merry Skifflemas! referred to on the packaging as a ‘festive mix of traditional oldies and original newbies.’ He joined Eric Burdon on a tour in 2007-08, with whom he remained close. “