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
You Are My Sunshine
George Hamilton IV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
And I hung my head and cried
[Chorus]
I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all some day
[Chorus]
You told me once dear, you really loved me
And no one else dear, could come between
But now you've left me and love another
You have shattered all my dreams
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The song "You Are My Sunshine" by George Hamilton IV is a classic love song that has been loved and sung by people for generations. The song is a declaration of love and an appeal from the singer not to lose the person who makes him happy. The chorus of the song is particularly beautiful, as it encapsulates the emotion and meaning of the entire song. The singer tells his love interest that she is his sunshine, the only one who can make him happy, and he pleads with her not to take his sunshine away. The imagery of sunshine is used to represent happiness and light, and the singer is saying that his love interest brings all of these things into his life.
In the verses, the singer talks about a dream he had where he was holding the person he loves, only to wake up and realize that it was not real. This illustrates the power of his love and how much he wants the person to be with him. He also promises to always make the person happy, as long as she reciprocates his feelings. However, he warns her that if she decides to leave him for someone else, she will regret it later in life.
Overall, "You Are My Sunshine" is a simple but heartfelt love song that has resonated with generations of people. The sentiment behind the song is universal, and it speaks to the power of love and the fear of losing someone who means the world to us.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You are the light in my life and the only one who can bring me happiness.
You make me happy when skies are gray
Even in the darkest of times, you have the power to lift my spirits and bring joy to my life.
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
My love for you is so deep that words cannot express the extent of my feelings.
Please don't take my sunshine away
I cannot bear the thought of losing you, as you are the source of my happiness and joy.
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
In my dreams, I am able to hold you close and feel your love and warmth.
I dreamed I held you in my arms
In my dreams, I feel complete because I have you in my arms and can feel your love.
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
Reality hits hard as I am reminded that you are not actually with me, and it pains me deeply.
And I hung my head and cried
The sadness of not having you by my side overwhelms me, and I cannot help but weep.
I'll always love you and make you happy
I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are happy and feel loved, now and forever.
If you will only say the same
I hope that you will reciprocate my feelings and pledge to always love and cherish me.
But if you leave me to love another
The thought of you being with somebody else is unbearable and would shatter my heart into pieces.
You'll regret it all some day
I believe that if you were to choose to leave me, you would one day regret it and long to be back by my side.
You told me once dear, you really loved me
In the past, you professed your love for me, and I hold onto that memory in hope that it still holds true.
And no one else dear, could come between
At one point, you believed that nobody could come between our love and connection, and I pray that this is still true.
But now you've left me and love another
Sadly, the reality is that you have moved on and found love with somebody else.
You have shattered all my dreams
The pain of losing you has shattered my dreams of a happy life with you, and I fear I may never fully recover.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
Once again, I am reminded that you are the light and joy in my life, and I cannot bear to lose you.
You make me happy when skies are gray
Even when the world feels dark and hopeless, your love has the power to bring light and happiness into my life.
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
My love for you is beyond measure, and I fear that I will never be able to fully convey its depth.
Please don't take my sunshine away
I am begging you, please do not leave me, as I cannot imagine life without you and your love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jimmie Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind