Bill Hamilton

Today Bill's wife Georgia contacted Susan Koch Henderson regarding his bio. Sue would like us all to enjoy reading about his accomplishments:

Georgia writes:

I will try to sum up Bill’s unique career. He was always a musician, even when his lungs could no longer cooperate.

William Anthony Hamilton (Bill) died on December 1, 2004, aged 63, of complications after a double lung transplant. He had a rare genetic disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency which caused severe and progressive damage to his lungs. He would certainly have planned to attend the Billings High School 50th Reunion . He was very proud of his Montana heritage although he said he took up the French horn to avoid the hard physical labor of farm and ranch life. In high school he competed and often won numerous music competitions and was a member of the Billings Symphony. Summers he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan . At graduation he was offered a scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore but after a few semesters he had an opportunity to play in the Baltimore Symphony and lost interest in his formal musical education.

He came to New York City in the early 60’s and for a time he lived in his car which he conveniently parked at the corner of 122nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue across the street from a bar which offered a drink, a phone, and a bathroom. Soon he was working regularly and could afford a $29/month walk-up apartment with the bathtub in the kitchen. He kept his horn padlocked in that tub when he was out if the apartment.

He always considered himself a free-lance musician. He was at home in almost every musical style. Over his career he played with most of the major musical organizations in New York City, taking a couple of years off to play first horn in the Buffalo Symphony and nearly every summer for music festivals in places like Colorado, Cape Cod, and New Hampshire.

He played over 35 Broadway shows including the original productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba the Greek, Man of La Mancha, Oliver, and 42nd Street . He played many of the revivals too. He was particularly proud of performing on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company when they were on Broadway. As a representative of the New York Musician’s Union , Local 802, he helped negotiate contracts for Broadway musicians.

He was a founding Member of the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and played regularly with the Metropolitan Opera,including the Saturday radio broadcasts and later the Live from Lincoln Center programs on television. He was a member of The Long Island Philharmonic, the New York Pops, the American Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Opera and Ballet Orchestras, the Symphony of the New World , the New Jersey Symphony, and the Opera Orchestra of New York. He was also a member of numerous wind and brass quintets such as The Boehm, The Carnegie, The Bronx Arts Ensemble, the New Amsterdam , the Apple Brass and founded the Wind Bag and Hammar Brass.

As a studio musician he recorded jingles (music for TV ads), movie soundtracks, and albums. He performed and recorded with James Brown at the Apollo Theater, Petula Clark and Peggy Lee at the Empire Room of the Waldorf Hotel, Johnnie Mathis, Montavani, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Carly Simon, and at Radio City Music Hall among many others. His numerous recordings include the soundtracks for “Miller’s Crossing” and “Beauty and the Beast”, albums with Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Meatball, and the Wagner Ring Cycle with the Metropolitan Opera.

In the 1970s he studied chamber music with Claus Adam, the cellist in the Juilliard Quartet. “The Bohemian French Horn”, his solo album, was recorded with members of the Juilliard Quartet in 1975.

When his lung disease began to affect his endurance, he retired from playing and embarked upon a new career: “Act 2” he called it. He completed a certificate in Computer Business Applications at Columbia University and a BA at Empire State College and began work on a Master’s Degree at Stevens Institute. He moved into the business world full time in 1994. As a software developer he worked for various investment firms including TIAA-CREF and UBS-Paine Webber where he claimed his musician communications skills and ensemble experience were valuable assets. In 2000 he joined Barnes & Noble.com where he remained until his death.

After the lung transplant he was talking about starting “Act 3”. He threatened to buy back his French horn and start practicing again.

A concert in his honor in April of 2005 included tribute performances by musicians from every major musical organization in New York City . After the Dvorak Serenade in D and the Mozart 4th Horn Concerto, among many pieces, the finale was Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture arranged for 16 French horns and percussion. Quite an amazing send off!

He is missed by his doting wife Georgia Rose and children Jason and Erika Hamilton, and stepchildren, Ranulf and Calin Lisenbee all of whom he treated to unforgettable summer camping trips in Montana . The kids and I would love to hear from any of his high school friends.

Georgia.rose@verizon.net