American Singer and Songwriter. She will best be remembered for writing and singing lead vocals on the 1961 hit single 'Angel Baby' by Rosie and the Originals. She got her start in music at 13, fronting a country western band in a San Diego suburb. At age 14, she wrote a poem about a teenage love called 'Angel Baby'. She and a group of her musician friends recorded the song at a makeshift studio inside an old airplane hanger in San Marcos. A local record distributor heard the song and, without signing the group to a record contract, took control of the single's master take and gave songwriting credit to the group's eldest member. The single found its way to famed DJ Alan Freed, who played the record numerous times a day in November 1960 and two months later, the single peaked at Number Five on the Hot 100. Hamlin parted ways with the distributor after a legal battle over the song's authorship and ownership. After disbanding the group, she recorded an album, which featured the songs 'Lonely Blue Nights' and 'My Darling Forever', with her guitarist husband Noah Tafolla before leaving the music industry by 1963. John Lennon covered 'Angel Baby' for his 'Rock 'n' Roll' covers LP, although it was left off that album, his version emerged on the 1986 posthumous release 'Menlove Ave.' and subsequent 'Rock 'n' Roll' reissues. Artists Roky Erickson, Linda Ronstadt and System of a Down would also record versions of the oldies staple. In 1995, Rosie and the Originals were featured as part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's exhibit on One-Hit Wonders. Hamlin, who died of natural causes, proclaimed herself the first Latina woman ever to appear on Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand'.
American Singer and Songwriter. She will best be remembered for writing and singing lead vocals on the 1961 hit single 'Angel Baby' by Rosie and the Originals. She got her start in music at 13, fronting a country western band in a San Diego suburb. At age 14, she wrote a poem about a teenage love called 'Angel Baby'. She and a group of her musician friends recorded the song at a makeshift studio inside an old airplane hanger in San Marcos. A local record distributor heard the song and, without signing the group to a record contract, took control of the single's master take and gave songwriting credit to the group's eldest member. The single found its way to famed DJ Alan Freed, who played the record numerous times a day in November 1960 and two months later, the single peaked at Number Five on the Hot 100. Hamlin parted ways with the distributor after a legal battle over the song's authorship and ownership. After disbanding the group, she recorded an album, which featured the songs 'Lonely Blue Nights' and 'My Darling Forever', with her guitarist husband Noah Tafolla before leaving the music industry by 1963. John Lennon covered 'Angel Baby' for his 'Rock 'n' Roll' covers LP, although it was left off that album, his version emerged on the 1986 posthumous release 'Menlove Ave.' and subsequent 'Rock 'n' Roll' reissues. Artists Roky Erickson, Linda Ronstadt and System of a Down would also record versions of the oldies staple. In 1995, Rosie and the Originals were featured as part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's exhibit on One-Hit Wonders. Hamlin, who died of natural causes, proclaimed herself the first Latina woman ever to appear on Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand'.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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