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Moravian Music Foundation

Preserving, Sharing, and Celebrating Moravian Musical Culture

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George Hamilton IV Passing

 

Letter to Festival Chairman 1972
from MMFestival 1972

George Hamilton IV performed at the 1972 and 1990 Moravian Music Festivals

Winston-Salem Journal

George Hamilton IV, a Winston-Salem native who became a country music legend known for his clean-cut look and easy going manner, has died.

Hamilton, 77, died Wednesday at a hospital in Nashville, The Nashville Tennessean reported.

Hamilton had suffered a heart attack over the weekend.

His career spanned more than 60 years during which he evolved from being a teen star to folk country and traditional gospel music. As a youngster, he attended Fries Memorial Moravian Church and would go on to be an advocate for the Moravian Church’s music and culture.

Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem on July 19, 1937. He told the Winston-Salem Journal in 1989 that both his grandfathers had been railroad men in the community by the old Union Station near what is now Winston-Salem State University. He grew up in a small brick home on Queen Street, which now overlooks Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. ‘

City start

Although he would become a country star, his upbringing was more city than country. His father, George Hamilton III, was a high-ranking executive at Goody’s Manufacturing Corp. But the younger Hamilton nonetheless found his calling in country music, moved by the songs of Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams Sr., Red Foley, Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold.

Hamilton graduated from Reynolds High School, where he performed in a trio called the Serenaders. It was also at Reynolds that he met Adelaide “Tinky” Peyton, who he would marry in 1958. They have three adult children.

After high school, he left Winston-Salem to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

It was at Chapel Hill, during his freshman year, that he would meet two of the biggest influences of his musical career. One was Orville Campbell, the former publisher of The Chapel Hill Newspaper and the founder of Colonial Records who had gained fame for recording Andy Griffith’s comedy classic “What It Was, Was Football.” The other was a songwriter from Durham named John D. Loudermilk.

Their musical collaboration led to Hamilton’s first hit, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth,” in 1956. The song, a simply arranged apologetic teen love anthem, reached the national Top 10.

In a Journal interview in 2010, Hamilton recalled playing the grandstand at the Dixie Classic Fair shortly after the song became a hit. He said that playing before a hometown crowd held special meaning for him.

“That was quite a thrill,” he said.

Early rock star

The record made Hamilton a pop star and allowed him to tour with some of the early stars of rock ’n’ roll, including Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. He was inducted into the Teen-Age Heart Throb Club along with Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Darin.

But Hamilton yearned to make music more like his country music heroes. So he moved to Washington, D.C., where he enrolled in American University. He also regularly performed on Jimmy Dean’s “Town and Country Jamboree” and a TV talent show hosted by Arthur Godfrey.

Hamilton began what would be a long and close relationship with the Grand Ole Opry in 1960. He moved to Nashville, where he met guitarist and producer Chet Atkins.

Atkins signed Hamilton to a record deal and produced his first Top 10 country hits, “Before This Day Ends” and “Three Steps to the Phone.”

In 1963, he had his only No. 1 country song, “Abilene,” which Loudermilk co-wrote with Bob Gibson and Lester Brown. The song also reached No. 15 on the pop charts.

He had several more songs that would make the country charts, but he never cracked the Top 100 pop charts again.

In the mid ’60s he became interested in folk music through the work of Gordon Lightfoot. In 1968, Hamilton played the Newport Jazz Festival, along with Joan Baez, Janis Joplin and Doc Watson.

‘International Ambassador’

The U.S. hits began to slow down in the late 1970s, but he found new stardom in Canada and Great Britain, where in some ways he was an even bigger star than in the States. He became a regular at the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Stadium, where he first played in 1969. The BBC gave him a TV series called “George the Fourth: A King in the Country.”

During the Cold War in the early 1970s, he became one of the first American country music stars to play behind the Iron Curtain when he performed in Czechoslovakia.

“It’s kinda nice to try to present our music as a form of American culture that, I think, has some quality to it,” he told the Journal in 1980. “I think it’s modern American folk music, really. I take pleasure in presenting it as a kind of music that evolved out of the folk music of Europe.”

Billboard Magazine would dub him “The International Ambassador of Country Music.”

In the 1980s, he turned more seriously to gospel music, doing tours of churches. He also performed on several Billy Graham Crusades.

In the late 1980s, he was the host of a PBS special “Christmas With Moravians.”

His album “On a Blue Ridge Sunday” earned a Dove Award in 2004.

He continued recording and playing, often performing with his son, “George V.”

But aside from his Opry appearances, the venues would for the most part be smaller. He didn’t mind the intimate venues, seeing them as a way to connect with the audience.

Among his last Winston-Salem appearances was a 2010 concert at the Dixie Classic Fair, performing not at the grandstand but at the clock tower stage. Just as with his first appearance there, the concert gave him a reason to be excited.

“It’s kind of a homecoming, for a kid who grew up in Ardmore and spent a lot of happy times at the Dixie Classic Fair,” he said on the eve of the performance.

Even into his 70s, long after the teen idol days had passed, audiences still came to hear him play his stripped down brand of music and listen to stories about the songs and the simple life.

In an age where stars are known for their diva attitudes, Hamilton remained a grateful and humble star. His wife, Tinky, told the Journal in 1989 that if he had a fault, it may have been that he was too laid back.

“He is really just a good human being,” she said. She acknowledged that in the music business, being easygoing can be a sign of weakness. “But I will say it’s one of the reasons I love him. It’s been that way since the day I met him.”

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caroline says

    September 21, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    George was loved on both sides of the Atlantic. I remember a special program on the BBC in London, dedicated just to him. He also entertained many residents and family members at what was once the Moravian Home, and probably later, at Salem Town. I have photos from one of the events. He will be sorely missed!

    Reply

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Christopher Ogburn

Growing up in the Moravian Church, I learned the value of the church and the importance of its long and remarkable history, both locally, but also internationally. My own family lineage can be traced back to the Bethabara settlement, so there is a strong personal connection that draws me to the work of the Moravian Music Foundation and the preservation of its remarkable archival collection. While an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I had the privilege of interning one summer at the Foundation under Nola Reed Knouse. This opportunity solidified my passion for musicology and is what ultimately inspired my pursuit of a doctorate in that area. In many ways, I owe my career to the Foundation and consider this opportunity to be both a literal and spiritual homecoming.

Looking to the future, I am excited by all the possibilities, including expanding the lecture series, building a more robust online presence, providing live music performances, creating workshops for local students, and working to tell the global story of the Moravian Church more completely and accurately.

My family has deep ties to the area that go back several generations. My wife, Erin, and I are excited to be moving back to Winston-Salem and to raise our daughter, June, in this community that played such a vital role in shaping who I am today. We are looking forward to exploring all the new restaurants, hiking around Pilot Mountain, and enjoying the vibrant cultural community that has grown over the years. After having lived in New York City for the bulk of our adult lives, we are delighted to be back in the land of BBQ, Cheerwine, and the Heels.  -Chris Ogburn

Bruce Earnest

What an honor it is for me to join the Moravian Music Foundation. I look forward to working with the board, staff, and community as we  plan for the next 66 years. The mission and vision of the Moravian Music Foundation is as important now and for the future as it was at inception 66 years ago. I am grateful to be leading an organization that is respected throughout the globe for its collection and significance, due to Dr. Knouse and the team. As my wife and family transition to the beautiful city of Winston-Salem, we ask for your prayers and look forward to meeting each of you very soon!    -Bruce Earnest

Psalm 99:5

Timeline of the Transition

The current plan (subject to change and adjustments, of course) is shared here, and will be updated.

The Plan

1. Nola and Gwyn will retire, effective the end of August, 2022.

2. The Board conducted a search and accepted many applications for Executive Director.

3.Finalists have been interviewed, given presentations, and considered by the Board.

4. A new Executive Director will be named in early summer and will be in place by late summer, 2022.

5. An interim Asst. Director will be hired by summer and will overlap with the current Asst. Director in Bethlehem.
This position will be 2-days a week to finish out the 2022 calendar year, while the new Director considers applicants for the Bethlehem position.

6. Watch for further developments.

Other resources at MMF:

  • Reference library: the Peter Memorial Library in Winston-Salem
  • Irving Lowens Collection of early American tunebooks and songbooks, in Winston-Salem
  • An extensive international collection of hymnals (mostly Moravian) in many languages, dating to the 16th century, in Winston-Salem

 
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ArchivGrid

ArchiveGrid                         LINK

This is a collection of over 7,000,000 archival descriptions, including documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials held in about 1,500 archival institutions. ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials, but who may not know exactly where to go to find them. MMF’s finding aids can be discovered through ArchiveGrid. For an example, go to https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/help/; type in the search box (upper right) “Bethlehem congregation” and the first thing you will find is MMF’s finding aid for the Bethlehem Congregation Collection, and also related collections and suggested search terms (Lancaster, Dover, Lititz, etc.), linked to those finding aids on the MMF website.

Finding Aids

Individual Finding Aids       LINK

Guide: Arranged by Collection          LINK

The archival holdings of MMF are divided into collections. (some in Bethlehem, some in Winston-Salem)

The finding aid for each collection is a “30,000-foot view” of the collection in its context. Each finding aid contains information about the size of the collection, how it was created, history of the community or key individuals involved in the collection, and a description of the contents.

A guide to the MMF collections is available at MoravianMusic.org:

For the individual finding aids, see https://moravianmusic.org/category/finding-aids/
Then, click on any of the titles and read about that collection. When this work is completed, there will be a finding aid for every collection we hold.

RISM

RISM: Répertoire International des Sources Musicales    LINK

RISM, or International Inventory of Musical Sources, is an international, non-profit organization that aims to comprehensively document extant musical sources worldwide: manuscripts, printed music editions, writings on music theory, and libretti that are found in libraries, archives, churches, schools, and private collections.

The RISM Catalog of Musical Sources contains over 1.2 million records and can be searched at no cost. Early western music from 1600 through to the early 19th century is included.    https://rism.info/de/search.html

RISM was founded in Paris in 1952 and is the largest and only global organization that documents written musical sources. RISM records what exists and where it can be found. RISM is where scholars go when they are looking for music manuscripts or early prints around the world. RISM entries include the musical incipits – the first phrase or so of music – to enable identification of a specific piece of music (which setting of “Sing to the Lord a New Song” is this?).

GemeinKat

GemeinKat is the MMF digital catalog on WorldCat.org    LINK

“GemeinKat” is the name given to MMF’s project to upload new and enhanced digital records to the OCLC and RISM databases. We have used the name “GemeinKat” as our umbrella term for the entire project, involving Backstage Library Works, OCLC, WorldCat, and RISM and the work of cataloging; also, the creation of the digital records and the creation of finding aids.

GemeinKat is available to the public, on the internet, at moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org and is a WorldCat Discovery catalog, developed by OCLC, a nonprofit organization that provides services to thousands of libraries worldwide. Through WorldCat, users have the potential to access more than 1.8 billion items in libraries around the world.

GemeinKat itself is: the bibliographic records for each manuscript, book, or printed music item found in MMF holdings.
These archival holdings are grouped by collections and physically reside in either the Bethlehem or Winston-Salem archive (sometimes in both).
For a description, see the MMF website: https://moravianmusic.org/gemeinkat-catalog/.

WorldCat.org: to search the catalog, go to https://moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org/discovery. You can search by composer, title, collection, or any number of other keywords; just go try!

OCLC (Online Computer Library Center): the collective of organization(s) that built the online database called WorldCat. It is now owned by Backstage Library Works.

We are open for business!

…however, we prefer you make an appointment to visit the WINSTON-SALEM office in-person, and follow the guidelines, below.

336-725-0651

We request visitors follow these requirements:

  • Researchers must call or email to make an appointment. Walk-in researchers will not be admitted.
  • There will be a limit of 3 persons in the research room at a time (including MMF and Archives researchers).
  • Masks required for ALL.
  • Researchers are required to bring their own writing materials (pencils & paper).

 

For shopping, when convenient, please order items on the MMF website. We can leave them at the door for pick-up or ship to you.

For anthem and lending library requests, research inquiries, and other inquiries,
you are welcome to send an email to info@moravianmusic.org or sales@moravianmusic.org
or, for research, dave@moravianmusic.org
or directly to any of the staff, using this pattern: [first name]@moravianmusic.org

We Are Open for Business!

…however, you must make an appointment to visit the BETHLEHEM office in-person. Masks, distancing, and limits of occupancy are mandated.  

610-866-3340

For shopping, when convenient, please order items on the MMF website. We can leave them at the door for pick-up or ship to you.

For anthem and lending library requests, research inquiries, and other inquiries,
you are welcome to send an email to info@moravianmusic.org or sales@moravianmusic.org or
directly to any of the staff, using this pattern: [first name]@moravianmusic.org

A recent inquiry to MMF - Subject: Copyright/Streaming

 

Dear MMF,

I have a question about copyright and streaming. We have CCLI license and streaming license at my church, but it does not cover many pieces for organ. Would the ASCAP license provide that protection for us to stream and include copyrighted organ music? I’ve read their website, and it seems like it would.  https://www.ascap.com/music-users/types/church-or-ministry

Thanks!

____________________________________________________

Dear Worship Leader,

We have been instructing folks to follow CCLI and OneLicense guidelines, which, as you discovered, unfortunately, rarely cover instrumental/keyboard music.

Yes, it appears as though ASCAP offers a “WorshipCast” streaming license, which is set up in much the same manner as CCLI and OneLicense licenses – i.e., the fee structure is based on worship attendance:

https://apps.christiancopyrightsolutions.com/purchase-license.aspx?svc=wc

A quick click brought up this fee structure:
1 – 199 (in attendance): $284.00
200 – 499 (in attendance): $424.00 (obviously it goes up from here)

Some further good news – the WorshipCast license offered above is controlled by Christian Copyright Solutions (a division of CCLI, and it appears as though purchase of this license would allow you to broadcast both ASCAP and BMI titles, opening up even more possibilities.

I don’t think, however, that this license includes SESAC titles; thus, if you wished to perform anything under the SESAC umbrella (Dan Gawthrop, for instance), you would need to approach that entity directly for a license:

https://www.sesac.com/#!/

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Blessings to you in your music ministry!

Gwyneth Michel, Assistant Director, Moravian Music Foundation      – – (with edits by Erik S.)

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The Moravian Music Foundation welcomes students for internships.
Both college (or higher) and high school levels may be accommodated.
Some projects require no musical experience; others require ability to read music and understand orchestral scores/parts.

Internship Opportunities

Archie K Davis Center

Construction began on the building in the fall of 1999, and the facility was completed and occupied in July 2001. In September 2001, the building was dedicated as the Archie K. Davis Center. More about the man, the building, and a quick, visual tour of our beautiful home.

The Archie K. Davis Center