R.I.P. Hilton Valentine, original guitarist for The Animals
Photo: Chris Walter/WireImage (Getty Images)
Hilton Valentine has died. As the original guitarist for pioneering British rock band The Animals, Valentine contributed some of the most potent riffs in the early history of British invasion rock most notably on the band’s breakout hit “The House Of The Rising Sun,” which opens with Valentine’s soaringly evil guitar intro. Valentine who, with the rest of his original bandmates, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994 occasionally reunited with them across his long career, and also played for several years with the group sometimes referred to as Animals II. Per
Hilton Valentine, guitarist for The Animals and CT resident, dies at 77
FacebookTwitterEmail
1of3
Hilton Valentine of the Animals attends the 2010 Rock Con: The National Rock & Roll Fan Fest at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center on July 31, 2010 in East Rutherford, N.J.George Napolitano / Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less
2of3
Hilton Valentine, who was the lead guitarist for the band the Animals, with the backside of “The Best Of The Animals” album cover in 2015.Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less
3of3
Hilton Valentine, who rose to stardom as guitarist for The Animals and composed the iconic riff to the British rock group’s version of “The House of the Rising Sun,” died Friday. He was 77.