British guitarist Hilton Valentine, founding member of rock band The Animals, best known for his cover of
The House of the Rising Sun
in 1964, died on Friday at the age of 77, his label ABKCO Music said.
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Born on May 21, 1943 in North Shields in the north-east of England, Hilton Valentine founded The Animals in 1963 with singer Eric Burdon, bassist Chas Chandler, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel.
This group of working-class musicians made a name for themselves in 1964 with a cover of an American traditional,
The House of the Rising Sun
, which for several weeks remained at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom. United States.
After the band disbanded in 1966, Hilton Valentine recorded a solo album,
All in Your Head
.
It will not be a commercial success.
In 2004, he released a new album titled
It's Folk 'n' Skiffle, Mate!
He will tour again in the United States, where he lived, in Connecticut.
"The introduction of
Rising Sun
will never sound the same again!"
, saddened Eric Burdon on Instagram.
"You weren't just playing it, you were living it!"
, he added, confident that he was
"heartbroken"
.