NASHVILLE (AP) – George Hamilton IV (the fourth) has died. Hamilton suffered a heart attack Saturday and died in a Nashville hospital on Wednesday. He was 77. Hamilton was known as the “International Ambassador of Country Music” because he developed a following around the world. He started off as a pop singer, though. “A Rose and A Baby Ruth” hit number 6 on the Billboard pop chart in 1956. He moved to Nashville in 1959 and had his first country hit with “Before This Day Ends.” “Abilene” was his biggest hit, topping the country charts in 1963. Hamilton had a string of hits in the 1960s and ’70s. His last album, “In The Heart of Texas,” came out in 2011. He still performed at the Grand Ole Opry and often acted as a celebrity tour guide.

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry