Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 19, 1937. While a 19-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamilton recorded "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" for a Chapel Hill record label, Colonial Records. The song, written by John D. Loudermilk, climbed to No. 6 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart. By 1960, "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" had attained gold record status for ABC-Paramount (which had acquired the song from Colonial). The self-penned B-side of the record, "If You Don't Know", revealed Hamilton's ambitions to be a rockabilly-country singer. In late 1959, Hamilton moved his family to Nashville, Tennessee to further his work as a country musician. On February 8, 1960, Hamilton officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Later that same year, he began recording for RCA Records, having been signed by Chet Atkins. In the UK he was less successful, with his biggest hit being "I Know Where I'm Going" in 1958. In 1984 he appeared with Billy Graham on his UK tour 'Mission England' and made other appearances as a solo performer in venues around the UK at this time.
Hamilton's breakthrough hit was the 1961 song "Before this Day Ends". His biggest hit came two years later with "Abilene", another song penned by Loudermilk and Bob Gibson. The song spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart and reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100. The success of "Abilene" was followed with the song "Fort Worth, Dallas or Houston" (a Top 5 hit in late 1964).
By the mid-1960s, Hamilton's music began showing a decidedly folk influence. This was especially evident with 1966's "Steel Rail Blues" and "Early Morning Rain" (both by Gordon Lightfoot), and 1967's "Urge for Going" by Joni Mitchell. Another 1967 hit was "Break My Mind" (by John D. Loudermilk). One more Hamilton song of this genre was a moderate hit in 1969—the Ray Griff-penned "Canadian Pacific". His last Top 5 single came in 1970, with "She's a Little Bit Country".
After his American chart success declined in the early 1970s, Hamilton began touring the world, across the Soviet Union, Poland, Australia, the Middle East and East Asia. These widely acclaimed international performances earned Hamilton the nickname The International Ambassador of Country Music. He also hosted several successful television programs in the UK and Canada during the 1970s, and in the 1990s he played himself in the West End musical Patsy, based on the life of Patsy Cline.
In 2004, he recorded an acoustic gospel album with producer Dave Moody titled On a Blue Ridge Sunday which earned Hamilton a Dove Award nomination in the "Best Bluegrass Album of the Year" category by the members of the Gospel Music Association. A single from the album, "Little Mountain Church House", won nominee recognition in the "Best Bluegrass Recorded Song" category the following year.
Until the very late years of his life, Hamilton was a regular at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and in country shows throughout the U.S. and the UK. He mainly concentrated on gospel tours both at home and abroad. In 2007 he collaborated with Live Issue, a group from Northern Ireland, to record a live album based on the life of Joseph Scriven, who wrote the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". The two also toured together again in 2009.
In 2008, Hamilton released a parody of his classic hit "Abilene" in the height of the soaring U.S. gas prices called "Gasoline". The acoustic single featured "The Oil Spots" (a.k.a. The Moody Brothers & George Hamilton V) and became a hit with audiences during Hamilton's Opry appearances. Hamilton was also a regular participant in the Country's Family Reunion video series.
In 2010, Lamon Records released the album Old Fashioned Hymns, recorded transatlantic with producers Dave Moody in Nashville and Colin Elliott in Ireland. Hamilton was joined on the 28-track collection by a number of musical guests, including Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Gail Davies, Pat Boone, Del McCoury, Bill Anderson, Connie Smith, Tommy Cash, Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea and many others.
Hamilton had a heart attack on September 13, 2014, and died on September 17 at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville.[8] On September 24, the Ryman Auditorium hosted a memorial service which include performances by Marty Stewart, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Jett Williams, Gail Davies, Connie Smith, Dave Moody, Jimmy Capps, Barry and Holly Tashian, The Babcocks, Andrew Greer and Cindy Morgan. English music historian and journalist Tony Byworth, music writer and author Frye Galliard, artists and songwriters John D. Loudermilk and Bill Anderson, Grand Ole Opry general manager Pete Fisher, and WSM announcer Eddie Stubbs all shared stories of Hamilton's life and career during the memorial. The service concluded with "Amazing Grace" performed on bagpipes by Nashville Pipes and Drums Pipe Sergeant David Goodman.
Hamilton was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
The North Carolina Board of Transportation voted to name a bridge on Business 40 for Hamilton. The ceremony naming the bridge was held on July 19, 2016, which would have been Hamilton's 79th birthday.
Discography
It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled George Hamilton discography. (Discuss) (August 2016)
Albums
Year Album Chart Positions Label U.S. Country U.S.
1958 On Campus — — ABC-Paramount
Sing Me a Sad Song — —
1961 To You and Yours — — RCA Victor
1963 Abilene 18 77
1964 Fort Worth, Dallas or Houston — —
1965 Mister Sincerity...A Tribute to Ernest Tubb 19 —
1966 Coast-Country 21 —
Steel Rail Blues 3 —
1967 Folk Country Classics 3 —
Folksy 21 —
1968 The Gentle Country Sound of George Hamilton IV 25 —
In the 4th Dimension 36 —
1969 Canadian Pacific — —
1970 The Best Of — —
Back Where It's At — —
1971 North Country 45 —
West Texas Highway — —
1972 Country Music in My Soul — —
Travelin' Light — —
International Ambassador — —
1973 Out West Country — —
1974 The Best Of Volume 2 (UK only) — —
"Greatest Hits" 35 —
1975 Trendsetter — —
Back to Down East Country — —
1976 Back Home at the Opry — —
1977 Fine Lace and Homespun Cloth — — Anchor
1978 Feels Like a Million — —
1979 Forever Young — — MCA
1982 Songs for a Winter's Night — — Ronco
1983 Country Beat — — Supraphon
1984 Music Man's Dream — — Range
1985 George Hamilton IV — — MCA
1986 American Country Gothic with The Moody Brothers — — Lamon Records
1990 HomeGrown with George Hamilton V — — Lamon Records
2004 Blue Ridge Sunday — — Lamon Records
2006 Heritage and Legacy — — Lamon Records
2010 Old Fashioned Hymns and Gospel Songs for Those Who Miss Them — — Lamon Records (US) and Hillcrest Recordings (Ireland)
2011 In The Heart Of Texas — — Heart Of Texas Records
2012 Luke The Drifter (The Other Side of Hank Williams) — — Lamon Records
Gee
George Hamilton IV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder if she even noticed me
Gee, I wish I hadn't been so shy
I guess I missed the chance of a lifetime
Oh Gee-ee
I only saw her for a little while
I held my breath as she passed so close to me
All I could do was stand there
Oh Gee-ee
One brief moment was all I had
I tingled with excitement for more
But one precious moment was all I had
To find just what I'd been searchin' for
Gee, I hardly closed my eyes last night
With her on my mind, I just couldn't fall asleep
Why did I ever let her out of sight
I guess I missed the chance of a lifetime
Oh Gee-ee
I guess I missed the chance of a lifetime
Oh Gee-ee
The song "Gee" by George Hamilton IV is a classic tale of missed opportunity and unrequited love. The singer of the song sees the "sweetest girl" he has ever laid eyes on and instantly falls for her. However, he is too shy to approach her and misses his chance to strike up a conversation. He thinks back on his encounter with regret, wishing that he had been more bold and wondering if the girl even noticed him. The chorus of the song repeats the refrain "Gee-ee" as the singer laments his missed opportunity.
The song captures a universal human experience - the feeling of regret and missed opportunity. Many people can relate to seeing someone they are attracted to and wishing they had the courage to make a move. The song's simple melody and catchy chorus make it an easy tune to sing along to and its relatability ensures that it remains a beloved classic.
Overall, "Gee" serves as a reminder that life is full of missed chances and that it is important to seize the moment and take risks when we have the chance, lest we end up like the singer of the song - left with only regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, I saw the sweetest girl last night
Last night, I saw the most charming girl that I have ever seen in my life.
I wonder if she even noticed me
However, I am not sure if she even noticed me while I was there.
Gee, I wish I hadn't been so shy
I know that I was too shy to approach her, and I regret that decision.
I guess I missed the chance of a lifetime
Unfortunately, I know deep down that I missed a great opportunity to meet someone special.
Oh Gee-ee
I can't help but feeling regretful about the missed opportunity.
I only saw her for a little while
Even though I only saw her briefly, I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
I held my breath as she passed so close to me
In fact, I was so captivated by her that I was nervous when she was nearby.
Gee, I wanted to catch her with a smile
I wished that I could have smiled at her to show her that I was interested.
All I could do was stand there
Unfortunately, I was too nervous and lacked the courage to say hello.
One brief moment was all I had
I only had a fleeting moment to interact with her, but it had a profound effect on me.
I tingled with excitement for more
In that short moment, I felt an intense excitement, and I wanted to know her better.
But one precious moment was all I had
Sadly, that was the only moment that I would have to connect with her.
To find just what I'd been searchin' for
I felt as though that moment was the key to unlocking something that I was searching for in my life.
Gee, I hardly closed my eyes last night
That night, I could not get her out of my head, and I barely slept.
With her on my mind, I just couldn't fall asleep
The thought of her was occupying my mind, and it was impossible to ignore.
Why did I ever let her out of sight
I regret not being able to maintain a connection with her, maybe I could have made something real.
I guess I missed the chance of a lifetime
I know that I missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the sweetest girl I have ever seen.
Oh Gee-ee
I can't stop feeling remorseful about the missed chance.
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
XXVvKX9
Reminds me of Rick Nelson
louis hubbard
a good rare 1