DENNIS HOPPER was an actor I met in New York City. He was one of the guys I went to the coffee houses to hear BOB DYLAN play at back in the day. He had a role in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE that James Dean starred in and after James Dean had passed away and I was being promoted as the Next James Dean, Dennis was one of the actors who wanted to meet me. He was really nice to me in New York and again when I moved to Los Angeles. I saw him out in Malibu and he gave me his home phone number. I gave him a call.
At the time I met Dennis Hopper in New York, he dressed conservatively and you might never have guessed he would become famous for portraying rebels or be considered a rebel himself from his exterior. HE WAS A STRAIGHT LACED IVY-LEAGUER TYPE just as George Hamilton IV was.
Wes Bryan
We're linking to the Los Angeles Times Obit for our readers around the country and the world can hear what his home town newspaper had to say about him
Showing posts with label George Hamilton IV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Hamilton IV. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
(55) I INTRODUCE GEORGE HAMILTON IV and BUDDY KNOX
George Hamilton IV was a lanky farm boy about my age and from my neck of the woods, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He had a song called "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" that I especially liked.
I had the pleasure of introducing George Hamilton IV and Buddy Knox. Buddy and I were visiting my dad when he lived in Winston-Salem and we went to the Greyhound station which had a giant coffee shop where all the kids used to sit around and listen to the jukebox. I used to hang out there myself when I lived in the area. It was the place to be.
It was about midnight when I called George from the payphone and woke him up. When he heard I had Buddy Knox with me, he raced to dress and came right down. The two men enjoyed each other's company. In fact the three of us stayed there drinking coffee and talking for about six hours!
I have to admit one of the perks of being a bit famous for me was being able to introduce people who wanted to meet each other. Sometime later I brought Buddy Knox to visit Elvis at his home in Los Angeles. Buddy and Elvis had met briefly while both were in the army and stationed at Fort Hood but a home visit was something else, and Elvis even answered the door himself and saluted Buddy on the way in.
I had the pleasure of introducing George Hamilton IV and Buddy Knox. Buddy and I were visiting my dad when he lived in Winston-Salem and we went to the Greyhound station which had a giant coffee shop where all the kids used to sit around and listen to the jukebox. I used to hang out there myself when I lived in the area. It was the place to be.
It was about midnight when I called George from the payphone and woke him up. When he heard I had Buddy Knox with me, he raced to dress and came right down. The two men enjoyed each other's company. In fact the three of us stayed there drinking coffee and talking for about six hours!
I have to admit one of the perks of being a bit famous for me was being able to introduce people who wanted to meet each other. Sometime later I brought Buddy Knox to visit Elvis at his home in Los Angeles. Buddy and Elvis had met briefly while both were in the army and stationed at Fort Hood but a home visit was something else, and Elvis even answered the door himself and saluted Buddy on the way in.
Here's an Rockin' Country Style discography for George Hamilton IV.
George Hamilton IV is still touring today...
NEW LINK TO NEW GEORGE HAMILTON the 5th Vegas site linked above!
January 12, 2011
Saturday, October 20, 2007
(54) GEORGE HAMILTON THE IVth and ME Watch THE WELCOME HOME ELVIS TV SPECIAL - FRANK SINATRA
Would Elvis would put on a suit and become a crooner like Bobby Darin and Fabian, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra?
Well, the answer to that seemed to be yes - and no. The American public did get to see Elvis on TV suited up. Frank Sinatra had a television special that introduced this new mature Elvis, a man who, I knew, was continuing to exercise his voice and singing capabilities to sound like the American tenor Mario Lanza. (His inspiration for the way he sang on "It's Now or Never.") Elvis's facial expressions and restrained but ever-Elvis body language communicated that beneath that straight suit he was still nothin but a hound dog!
To be sure Colonel Parker had as many members of the Elvis Presley Fan Club in the audience as he could get, and they out did the applause Frank got too.
Interestingly, the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra's entourage) was there, all but for Dean Martin, the one Elvis liked the most.
Frank Sinatra's daughter Nancy, looking like a prom queen, not yet hip, and with her naturally not yet blonde blonde hair, made an appearance on the show, which had the highest ratings for the evening.
After being there for Elvis return to Memphis, I got back on the Buddy Knox tour, and was in New York City watching the show with a friend of mine, the country boy George Hamilton the IV. He was in our home state of North Carolina and we stayed on the telephone long distance with each other, comparing notes about Elvis' performance and the entire show. We agreed, Elvis sounded better than ever.
Here's a couple You Tube videos of Elvis on the "Frank Sinatra Special" which also got called the "Welcome Home Elvis" special which was broadcast live from Miami Beach, Florida, and sponsored by Timex, the watch company.
In this first You Tube video, Frank performs a tune - written for the show - about the army. This video includes Nancy Sinatra, Joey Bishop (he just died a day or so ago at 89!), and Sammy Davis Jr. Elvis walks onto the stage in his army uniform. This may just be the set up Colonel Parker needed to route Elvis Presley back to Las Vegas eventually but at this point Parker is going to use Elvis' military background to his advantage. And my friend Elvis was always a patriotic American, proud of his military service, and one for the veterans of this great country, so believe me, Elvis didn't mind one iota.
Elvis and Frank share songs but who are the girls screaming for? You can put Elvis is a suit but you can't take the Elvis out of him!
Well, the answer to that seemed to be yes - and no. The American public did get to see Elvis on TV suited up. Frank Sinatra had a television special that introduced this new mature Elvis, a man who, I knew, was continuing to exercise his voice and singing capabilities to sound like the American tenor Mario Lanza. (His inspiration for the way he sang on "It's Now or Never.") Elvis's facial expressions and restrained but ever-Elvis body language communicated that beneath that straight suit he was still nothin but a hound dog!
To be sure Colonel Parker had as many members of the Elvis Presley Fan Club in the audience as he could get, and they out did the applause Frank got too.
Interestingly, the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra's entourage) was there, all but for Dean Martin, the one Elvis liked the most.
Frank Sinatra's daughter Nancy, looking like a prom queen, not yet hip, and with her naturally not yet blonde blonde hair, made an appearance on the show, which had the highest ratings for the evening.
After being there for Elvis return to Memphis, I got back on the Buddy Knox tour, and was in New York City watching the show with a friend of mine, the country boy George Hamilton the IV. He was in our home state of North Carolina and we stayed on the telephone long distance with each other, comparing notes about Elvis' performance and the entire show. We agreed, Elvis sounded better than ever.
Here's a couple You Tube videos of Elvis on the "Frank Sinatra Special" which also got called the "Welcome Home Elvis" special which was broadcast live from Miami Beach, Florida, and sponsored by Timex, the watch company.
In this first You Tube video, Frank performs a tune - written for the show - about the army. This video includes Nancy Sinatra, Joey Bishop (he just died a day or so ago at 89!), and Sammy Davis Jr. Elvis walks onto the stage in his army uniform. This may just be the set up Colonel Parker needed to route Elvis Presley back to Las Vegas eventually but at this point Parker is going to use Elvis' military background to his advantage. And my friend Elvis was always a patriotic American, proud of his military service, and one for the veterans of this great country, so believe me, Elvis didn't mind one iota.
Elvis and Frank share songs but who are the girls screaming for? You can put Elvis is a suit but you can't take the Elvis out of him!
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