| Sean Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nationality | Italian American |
| Occupation | Radio & Television Personality, Actor |
| Employer | Clear Channel Communications, United Stations Radio Networks |
Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton is an American radio personality. He is the host of the Weekend Top30 Countdown and the Remix Top40 Countdown heard in over 280 cities in the United States and throughout the world. He can also be heard live weekday afternoons on WKTU in New York City. This fact makes him now one of the most listened to (music) radio personalities in the country according to PPM Arbitron, published in "Inside Radio" in 2009.[1]
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Hamilton was born and raised in both Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. Both his parents were in show business; his father, Al, was the entertainment director for major Nevada hotels and casinos, and also a comedian who performed in those establishments. Hamilton's mother, April Ames, was a singer for Harry James, Sam Donahue, Buddy Rich, and others during the "big band" era. She also made appearances on Johnny Carson and George Gobel television shows. Later, during the 1970s, she performed on the Nevada casino circuit with her own band, April Ames and The Dames.
Hamilton got the nickname "Hollywood" when he was nine years old. Sitting backstage watching his father's Las Vegas show while wearing a suit and bow tie, one of his father's showgirls passed and called him "Little Hollywood."
While still in high school Hamilton landed his first job in commercial radio after gaining recognition from a (illegal) pirate radio station, broadcasting from his home in Reno Nevada.[2] After weeks of complaints from local commercial radio stations the Federal Communication Commission issued a formal cease and desist. It wasn't until then, that Hamilton's parents even knew of such an operation their son was operating.
In 1990 Actor Christian Slater studied the role of playing a DJ for the motion picture Pump Up the Volume under the tutelage of then friend Hamilton. At the time Hamilton was hosting a night shift at KIIS-FM in Los Angeles. Because the film closely resembles the early career of Sean Hamilton there has been much speculation that the film was loosely based on Hamilton's start in broadcasting before he started professionally.
After spending only a year broadcasting in his hometown, Hamilton decided to hit the road hoping to achieve the big time one day. After three years of traveling and working for a couple small market radio stations, he ended up in a small town in central New Jersey called Long Branch. In 1983 while broadcasting one night, his big break came when a then famous radio executive Scott Shannon was flying commercially over Long Branch and heard Sean on the air. Upon Shannon's arrival at his destination Sean was immediately offered a job to be part of creating and premiering what is now the largest and most influential radio station in the world today, New York’s WHTZ/Z-100. At just 20 years old and only four years after building his small pirate radio station in Reno, Nevada, he was now on the air at Z-100 in New York City. After Z-100s premiere on August 2, 1983 with its legendary campaign "Worst to First", the station went #1 in the ratings in just 74 days.[3] During those four years working in New York he helped launch and introduce such new artists as Madonna, Duran Duran, U2, Cyndi Lauper and Prince, just to name a few. Hamilton remained at Z-100 from 1983-1987.
In 1987, Hamilton was asked to head out west to join Rick Dees and 102.7 KIIS-FM where he spent a total of seven years on the air. During his seven years at KIISFM he headed up a very popular concert series called “Rad Pack.” This was a concert series where many of the biggest music and teen celebrities at the time would come together to raise money for the newly found D.A.R.E. foundation (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The attention of this series caught the eye of then President George H. Bush where Hamilton was asked to join the President for several youth anti-drug appearances. During the late eighties through the mid-nineties while at KIIS-FM, Hamilton made many other notable high profile appearances such as participating in the Toyota Celebrity Grand Prix of Long Beach and being part of the Los Angeles Air Show where he trained and flew with the United States Blue Angels. Hamilton remained at KIIS-FM from 1987-1994.
In April 2009, Clear Channel hand picked Hamilton to become the new afternoon drive host on KBIG-FM, known as 104.3 MYfm in Los Angeles.[6] He was Clear Channel's only "music" radio personality to have an afternoon show broadcasting simultaneously in both New York and Los Angeles, Monday through Friday.[7] Although Hamilton was live on WKTU on the east coast, his show was prerecorded three hours prior to airing at three PM on the west coast. This method of pre-recording a broadcast shift is called "tracking" and has been much criticized within the industry.[8] In January 2011 Hamilton resigned his west coast "tracking" duties for MYfm because of personal fatigue and time restraints.
In 1979, while working on his first commercial radio station, KCBN in Reno Nevada, Hamilton created the popular radio show called Lovelines. In 1983 shortly after being hired at Z-100 in New York Hamilton resurrected the show and called it "Hollywood Hamilton’s Midnight Lovelines", which offered medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, including actors and members of popular bands.[4] After the show became a huge hit in New York Hamilton signed the rights over to the Westwood One Radio Network for an undisclosed financial amount, stopped hosting it and moved to Los Angeles to work for KIIS-FM. The name was then changed from "Lovelines" to "Loveline" and Hamilton’s creation was quickly imitated on radio stations throughout America. KROQ and Dr. Drew Pinksy in Los Angeles gained the most notoriety where MTV Networks noticed it and produced A TV version of “Loveline” that ran on MTV from 1996 to 2000.
From 1989 to 1992, every Sunday night, Hamilton produced and was the host of a live satellite radio show from Disneyland in Southern California.[5] The four-hour show was called "Hangin' with Hollywood" and featured interviews with music, television and motion picture celebrities on the Tomorrowland main stage. This live radio show quickly became a Disney attraction for tourists who could watch celebrities being interviewed and participate by being "guest DJs", introducing the music on the air. However, because of Disney's strict rules and regulations regarding their image, the show came to an end in the winter of 1992. Hamilton remains an honorary citizen of Disneyland, an accolade that Mickey and friends personally presented to him on his birthday, March 25, 1989.
In 1996, Clear Channel convinced Hamilton to relocate back to New York City to host a show for their WKTU evening slot. Hamilton brought a sidekick/comedian along by the name of Goumba Johnny, their chemistry earned them top ratings consistently for two years. Because of their overwhelming success, in September 2006 Clear Channel decided to promote the duo to WKTU's afternoon drive.
In December of 2010, with the departure of sidekick Goumba Johnny, Hamilton started hosting the afternoon drive-time show solo. Since then his show became not only the highest rated afternoon show in the New York metro area but currently also holds the highest rated share for all radio stations in New York. (8.2 share 25-54 demographic, according to the Arbitron PPM/Summer rating system).
Hamilton is currently the host and executive producer of three syndicated radio shows in association with the United Stations Radio Networks.[6] Going into its twelfth year of syndication are "Hollywood Hamilton's Weekend Top 30," which has both pop and urban versions, and the "Remix Top 30," a Friday and Saturday night dance show that features club deejays remixing the top hits of the week featuring celebrity guests.[7]
Hamilton has been the spokesman and spokesmodel for companies including Sprint Nextel, Drakkar Cologne, Doritos, M&Ms, Levi Strauss & Co., Pepsi and 5-Hour Energy.[8] On his off time away from the radio industry, Hamilton's production company, Mischief Media Entertainment, has directed and produced television pilots for Telepictures, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and most recently two half hour pilots for Court TV entitled 29 Minutes & Counting.[9]
On March 22, 2010 Sean Hamilton signed a deal with Reel Stuff Entertainment to host and produce a new syndicated television show called "Europe After Dark", distribution is set for 2011. This "travel destination" series will take its viewers to the hottest nightclubs and tourist spots throughout Europe. Shooting began in Ibiza, Spain July 5 and then continuing on to Amsterdam, Bucharest, Mamaia, Athens, Mykonos, Prague, Berlin, Hamberg, Budapest, Croatia, Belgrade, Paris finishing up in Rome.[10][11]
On November 1st, 2011 Hamilton entered into negotiations with Quail TV to host and co-executive produce a reality television show. The show would be based on Hamilton's career and the day to day operations of the broadcasting industry in New York City.
Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton currently lives in New York City but maintains his residence in Los Angeles as well.
Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton is not be confused with the 80s rock fan Sean Hollywood, whose company Sean Hollywood Entertainment manages promotional events for rock music bands in the NYC/NJ area.
