Roy Hamilton
American singer (1929–1969) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Roy Hamilton (April 16, 1929 – July 20, 1969)[1] was an American singer. By combining semi-classical technique with traditional black gospel feeling, he brought soul to Great American Songbook singing.[2]
Roy Hamilton | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Rodothas Hamilton |
Born | (1929-04-16)April 16, 1929 Leesburg, Georgia, United States |
Died | July 20, 1969(1969-07-20) (aged 40) New Rochelle, New York, United States |
Genres | Traditional pop, show tunes, swing, vocal jazz, R&B, soul |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1947–1969 |
Labels | Epic, MGM, RCA |
Website | royhamilton |
Hamilton's greatest commercial success came from 1954 through 1961, when he was Epic Records' most prolific artist.[3] His two most influential recordings, "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Unchained Melody", became Epic's first two number-one hits when they topped the Billboard R&B chart in March 1954 and May 1955, respectively.[1][4] Hamilton became the first solo artist in the label's history to have a US top-ten pop hit when "Unchained Melody" peaked at No. 6 in May 1955.[4]