GRAMMY-nominated country artist George Hamilton IV died Sept. 17 after suffering a heart attack. He was 77. Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., Hamilton was deemed the International Ambassador of Country Music, having toured Europe, Asia, the Soviet Union, and Australia throughout his career. He scored his first Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 in 1956 with the John D. Loudermilk-penned "A Rose And A Baby Ruth." In 1960 Hamilton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and that same year reached No. 4 on Billboard's Country Singles chart with "Before This Day Ends." Subsequent hits on the Country Singles chart included "Three Steps To The Phone (Millions Of Miles)," "To You And Yours (From Me And Mine)" and 1963's "Abilene," which marked his greatest success on the country chart, climbing to No. 1. With 1964's Top 10 country hit "Fort Worth, Dallas Or Houston," Hamilton earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male. Hamilton also found success in Canada, recording hits by Canadian-born artists Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell, and hosting his own Canadian TV series for six years. Hamilton was also instrumental in organizing London's International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Stadium in 1969, and with fellow Opry star Bill Anderson, convinced the Country Music Association to present a version of the festival in Nashville, Tenn., which today is known as the CMA Music Festival.