Hilton Valentine

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #124 (June/July 2006).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Hilton Valentine

The Sun Also Rises

by T. J. McGrath

There are only a handful of classic rock anthems that are recognized in mere seconds by hordes of young and old eager to play the electric guitar. Alongside "Stairway to Heaven," "Smoke on the Water," and "Sunshine of Your Love," the shimmering arpeggio of the A minor chord that kicks off "House of the Rising Sun," played by Hilton Valentine of the Animals, deserves the "legend" tag.

Valentine, who played lead guitar with the Animals from 1962 to 1966, enjoyed more than a fair measure of fame and respect when the group took America by storm later on in 1964 as part of the British Invasion. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Animals, and in 2001 he was honored with a handprint on Hollywood's Rock Walk of Fame.

Now living in Connecticut, Valentine is still a performer and musician, playing a variety of venues, and one of his favorite spots is the Old Dublin Pub in Wallingford, a brightly lit Irish bar and lounge with soft cushions and a never-ending supply of Guinness on tap. Valentine's band, Skiffledog, plays at the pub at least once a month, and the crowds pack in for the show. Because it's a skiffle group, Valentine and band (including his wife, Germaine, on washboard) play a variety of folk favorites, and the audience seems to enjoy the loose, singalong atmosphere of the rowdy night.

Valentine describes his rise to musical stardom and his latest album, It's Folk 'N' Skiffle, Mate (2004), which features Valentine on acoustic guitar and vocals, David Hurd on bass, and Chip Damiani on drums.

[cover #124]