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Founding member Hilton Valentine dies at 77
Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine, founding member of the British rhythm and blues band The Animals, died on January 29. He was 77 years old. Animals and Valentine’s label, Abkco Records, confirmed his passing in an Instagram post Friday. “Our deepest condolences go out to Hilton Valentine family and friends for his death this morning, aged 77,” wrote the record company. “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.” Valentine was born in Northumberland, England, and joined The Animals in 1963, along with existing members (and the original bassist) Chas Chandler and vocalist Eric Burdon. Valentine quickly helped catapult the fledgling group to stardom with his work on the song “House of the Rising Sun” – his electric guitar arpeggio riff that introduces the song is now considered a classic. Read also: The Tony Awards vote is scheduled for March, but there is still no date for the Valentine ceremony played with Animals for only three years. The band’s first group of musicians dissolved in 1966, but their work with them survived on “House of the Rising Sun” and other classic songs, like “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and their cover of “Don’t Let Be Misunderstood. ”During his time with The Animals, Valentine recorded four albums, including the first self-titled album, the studio album“ The Animals on Tour ”,“ Animal Tracks ”and two released in 1966. The last album Valentine playing with the band was “Animalization” in 1966, but he continued to make music after leaving The Animals – he worked with producer (and later, a member of Animals) Vic Briggs to produce a solo album in LA for Capitol Records called “All in Your Head,” which he released in 1970. Despite his short stay at The Animals, Valentine made a lasting impact on the rock scene and was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, along with the rest of the band members. The band was also introduced to R ock Walk of Fame in Hollywood in 2001, and played a two-night reunion show at the Mid-Wilshire El Rey Theater. Read the original story Hilton Valentine, founding member of The Animals, dies at 77 on TheWrap