Hamilton Camp - RIP

[BFrank]

Lost among some of the more high profile celebrity passings was this genius.

++++

Hamilton Camp



Hamilton Camp died suddenly on October 2, 2005. He is survived by 6 children and 13 grandchildren.

Hamilton Camp was an actor, a singer, and a songwriter. His acting career started at age 12 in 1946; his music career began in 1960, when he and Bob Gibson made their mark on folk music.

In the spring of 2004, he appeared as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at A Noise Within in Los Angeles. F. Kathleen Foley, writing for the LA Times, said this of his performance:

"Hamilton Camp, who plays the buffoonish courtier, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, is bar none the funniest character in the show. A master of the discreet double take, Camp is outrageously silly but never cheap, always keeping his wackiness well within the confines of Taborl's realistic construct." - LA Times, March 26, 2004

In July of that year, Hamilton appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Hollywood Bowl, and reprised his role as Snug The Joiner in the production at A Noise Within in Los Angeles during the Fall. During the summers of 2004 and 2005 he coached theater games in Door County, Wisconsin.

In January, 2005, he traveled to the Washington, DC area for appearances at the World Folk Music Association annual benefit concerts (January 14 & 15), and a concert at Jammin' Java on the 16th. Read my informal report on the weekend here.

He finished work on the movie Hard Four (watch the trailer) in the spring of 2005, and just completed a new original album scheduled for release later this year.

With consummate skill, wit and and abundance of talent, he bridged these two disciplines throughout his life, and leaves a wonderful legacy of music and films.

[Pete C]

I first knew him on "He and She."

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I knew him first as the songwriter for this song, which I heard Quicksilver Messenger Service perform dozens of times in the late 60s:


Turn around,
go back down,
back the way you came,
Can't you see that flash of fire ten times brighter than the day?
And behold a mighty city broken in the dust again,
Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
go back down,
back the way you came,
Babylon is laid to waste, Egypt's buried in her shame,
The mighty men are all beaten down, their kings are fallen in the ways,
Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
go back down,
back the way you came,
Terror is on every side, lo our leaders are dismayed.
For those who place their faith in fire, their faith in fire shall be repaid,
Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
go back down,
back the way you came,
And shout a warning unto the nation that the sword of God is raised.
Yes, Babylon, that mighty city, rich in treasures, wide in fame,
Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

The meek shall cause your tower to fall, make of you a pyre of flame,
Oh you who dwell on many waters, rich in treasures, wide in fame.
you bow unto your God of gold, your pride of might shall be a shame,
For only God can lead His people back unto the Earth again.

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.
A Holy mountain be restored, and mercy on that people, that people



R.I.P.

[clinthopson]

A very talented performer.

I always enjoyed his work.