George Hamilton IV Dies At 77: Grand Ole Opry Star Remembered as ‘International Ambassador of Country Music’

It's been reported that legendary country-folk artist George Hamilton IV has passed away at the age of 77, according to Rolling Stone.

The musician died just yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 17) at a hospital in Nashville following a heart attack he suffered from this past Saturday.

Known as the "International Ambassador of Country Music," Hamilton began his career in 1956 with the hit "A Rose and a Baby Ruth," which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Top 100 charts and was actually a pop single. He later easily transitioned to country, where he would find his true calling.

The musician joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and delivered the hits "Before This Day Ends," along with "Three Steps to the Phone (Millions of Miles)," "To You and Yours (From Me and Mine)" and "If You Don't Know I Ain't Gonna Tell You." His greatest success, however, would come a couple of years down the line – in 1963 – in the form of the song "Abilene," which was co-written by John D. Loudermilk (who also co-wrote "A Rose and a Baby Ruth"), Bob Gibson and Lester Brown.

Hamilton was the first of many throughout his days in the limelight, such as the first American singer to record a hit written by Gordon Lightfoot, the first country musician to perform behind the Iron Curtain and one of the first to help organize the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Stadium in London.

In his Grand Ole Opry biography page, Hamilton notes, "The Opry is a walking, talking, living, singing museum. It's not artifacts, it's heart and souls."

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Dead, Grand Ole Opry, Country Music