Hilton Valentine, original guitarist for the Animals who featured on songs like “The House of the Rising Sun,” died Friday at the age of 77. (Excerpt from Rolling Stone)
ABKCO Music, the band’s label, confirmed Valentine’s death Friday. “Our deepest sympathies go out to [Valentine]’s family and friends on his passing this morning, at the age of 77,” the label wrote. “A founding member and original guitarist of The Animals, Valentine was a pioneering guitar player influencing the sound of rock and roll for decades to come.” No cause of death was revealed.
Animals singer Eric Burdon wrote on social media Friday, “The opening opus of Rising Sun will never sound the same!… You didn’t just play it, you lived it! Heartbroken by the sudden news of Hilton’s passing. We had great times together, Geordie lad. From the North Shields to the entire world…Rock In Peace.”
Valentine was the founding guitarist of the Animals, which he formed in 1963 alongside Burton, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel. A British Invasion band that specialized in R&B covers, the Animals scored a Number One single on both sides of the Atlantic in the summer of 1964 with their hit “The House of the Rising Sun,” featuring Valentine’s iconic intro.
In a span of two years, the Animals’ original lineup released a string of rock classics like “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (Number 322 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time), “We Gotta Get Out of the Place” (Number 235) and “It’s My Life.”
