Hilton Valentine, guitarist and founding member of The Animals, died. He was 77 years old.
The death of the English musician was announced by the company Abkco Music & Records on Friday.
“Our deepest condolences go to @HiltonValentinefamily and friends in his death this morning, at the age of 77. Founding member and original guitarist of The Animals, Valentine was a pioneering guitarist who influenced the sound of rock and roll in the coming decades ”, says Twitter reads.
The ad featured a photo of the artist kneeling in front of a NewcastleGateshead Local Heroes sign in the UK.
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The cause of death was not provided.
Valentine was born in Northbumberland, England in 1943. He became a member of The Animals in 1962 along with vocalist Eric Burdon.
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The rhythm blues and rock band is known for the hits “The House of the Rising Sun”, which topped the Billboard charts and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”. Valentine was one of the founding members, but the bandmates have changed over the years.
Hilton Valentine of the Animals of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame died at the age of 77. The cause of death is unknown.
(Getty Images)
Burdon paid tribute to Valentine on Friday, with a photo of the couple dancing on stage.
“Rising Sun’s opening album will never sound the same! … You didn’t just play, you lived it! 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, “Burdon caption the photo in black and white.
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English pop group The Animals (John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler and Alan Price) come together for a 74-date world tour on September 1, 1983 in Dallas, United States.
(Anwar Hussein / Getty Images)
The band’s last album came in 1983, entitled “Ark”. The group was honored with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 11 years later, in 1994.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Valentine lived in California later in life and did some solo projects, including the albums “All in Your Head” and “Skiffledog on Coburg Street”.
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The rocker leaves his wife, Germaine.