#5: The Aisle by Roy Hamilton
City: Dauphin, MB
Radio Station: CKDM
Peak Month: September 1957
Peak Position in Dauphin ~ #7
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~did not chart
YouTube: “The Aisle”
Lyrics: “The Aisle”
Roy Hamilton was born in the village of Leesburg, Georgia, in 1929. He began singing in church choirs at the age of six. In the summer of 1943, when Hamilton was fourteen, the family moved to New Jersey in search of a better life. There, he sang with the Central Baptist Church Choir, the state’s most famous African American church choir. Hamilton studied commercial art and was gifted enough to place his paintings with a number of New York City galleries. In February 1947, 17-year-old Roy Hamilton won a talent contest at the Apollo Theater. Yet, Hamilton recalled, “I couldn’t get a break. I really had nothing different to offer. They were seeking blues singers at the time, and I didn’t know any blues at all.” So, as he developed his vocal styling, Hamilton worked as an electronics technician during the day. At night, he was an amateur heavyweight boxer, with a record of six wins and one defeat. From 1948 to 1953, Hamilton was a member of the Searchlight Gospel Singers, performing in churches and gospel concerts. When the group split, Hamilton began performing at The Caravan night club in Newark, New Jersey.