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London (AP) - The former guitarist of the British band The Animals, Hilton Valentine, has died.
The record label ABKCO Music & Records announced on Twitter.
Valentine died on Friday.
He was 77 years old.
"As a founding member of The Animals, Valentine was a pioneer on the guitar who influenced the sound of rock and roll for decades," the statement said.
The Animals had their greatest success with their version of the blues song "House of the Rising Sun", which stormed the charts worldwide in 1964.
Other well-known titles were “Don't let me be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”.
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The band split in 1966, but performed repeatedly together.
"The sudden news of Hilton's death breaks my heart," wrote The Animals frontman Eric Burdon on Instagram.
The start of “House of the Rising Sun” will never sound like it did before.
“You didn't just play it, you lived it!” Continues Burdon.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210131-99-244734 / 4
Tweet on ABKCO
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Eric Burdon on Instagram
Report on the BBC website