ION INDIE MAGAZINE November 2014, Volume 6 | Page 47
The music industry is notoriously full of people that don't fulfill their promises--from "I can make you a
star!" to "I know all the BIG names in music". It's very refreshing to find someone that delivers on their
promise. ROBERT HAMILTON is one of those rare individuals. And that is what makes this month's
REVERBNATION partnership pick a top choice.
Robert was approached by his friend CRANFORD HAMILTON NIX and pitched the idea that he should let
Cranford teach him guitar. You see, Cranford needed a vocalist/front man for his band and it was his opinion
that Robert was a natural Rock Star. And so they began…
Cranford was patient and taught Robert basic chords and melodies that were picked up easily. Throw that
on top of great lyrics--and you have the start of a band that can withstand the weather of time.
But TIME turned out to be a fickle friend. Unfortunately, Cranford passed away suddenly on March 12, 2002.
And it was while having lunch one day with Cranford’s father, FORD SR. (also a notable musician that is in
“The Rockabilly Hall of Fame”), that Robert was asked by Ford Sr. to record some of his son’s music. Robert
agreed, but only when the timing was right. Several years went by, and when Ford Sr. died in 2012, Robert
felt a sense of guilt that he hadn't fulfilled the promise--but the timing still wasn't right.
In 2013, while performing with his band LIXX on the Detroit Riverfront, Robert opened for GRAND FUNK
RAILROAD to a crowd of 10,000 people. It was then that he knew…that the time was right.
"I realized that I owed it to my best friend, mentor, musical teacher and long lost brother to bring his music
back to life in a way that would not only make him proud, but also give him his rightful place in American
Music History,” says Robert.
About the same time by a stroke of luck, a friend, SHANE, asked Robert if he would like to record some of
Cranford’s songs. They had a mutual friend, JESSE, who happened to have a studio. Shane also reminded
him about Bobby Black--another friend that had played with Cranford--who possessed the same style, only
a bit more refined. Jesse decided he would play drums, but they still needed a bass player. They added PAUL
and the sum of the parts became THE HAMILTONS! In the spirit of THE RAMONES and as an homage to their
muse Cranford, EVERYONE was branded a “Hamilton”.
Timing, is everything!
The debut CD "IN CRANFORD WE TRUST", released January 17, 2014, features 9 songs written by Cranford
and one (“ONE LAST THING”) co-written with Robert. It was recorded in just two weeks--with the artists
learning the songs as they recorded them.
“IN CRANFORD WE TRUST” boasts a sound that is a mash-up of THE ROLLING STONES, THE RAMONES,
JOHNNY CASH and CHEAP TRICK. I would describe it as “unapologetically catchy” with a retro feel that
delivers the listener to a simpler time…and one can’t help but crack a smile.
This Michigan-based band also smacks of style…they are known to storm the stage in bright, jaunty
chapeaus from Detroit’s famous HENRY THE HATTER, that reflect equally THE HAMILTONS colorful spirits
and their “dance as if no one’s watching” zest for their music.