Hilton Valentine death: Original member of The Animals dies, aged 77
He was the man behind the the classic opening to ‘House of the Rising Sun’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hilton Valentine, the Animals guitarist behind one of the most famous song intros of all time, has died, aged 77.
The band’s label ABKCO Music announced that Valentine had died on Saturday (30 January) in a statement that was posted on Twitter.
It read: “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.”
The musician, who hailed from North Shields, was a founding member of the band whose hits include “House of the Rising Sun” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”.
Valentine is the guitarist who plays the former’s instantly recognisable intro, which is said to have inspired Bob Dylan to move to a more electric sound.
He formed The Animals in Newcastle in 1963 alongside Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler, Alan Price and John Steel.
Vocalist Burdon paid tribute to Valentine on Instagram, writing: “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.”
He added: “We had great times together, Geordie lad. From North Shields to the entire world...Rock In Peace.”
Valentine performed alongside the band for many years and, in 1970, released a solo album titled All In Your Head.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments