(Reuters) - Country music legend George Hamilton IV, a star at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and known as the "International Ambassador of Country Music," died on Wednesday at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, a statement on his website said.
Hamilton, who was 77, suffered a heart attack on Saturday, the statement said.
Hamilton helped to popularize country music far beyond the United States, performing at festivals across Europe. He was the first U.S. country singer with his own British television series, according to his biography on the website of the Grand Ole Opry, which is based in Nashville.
Hamilton also hosted a television series in Canada.
The musician known as George IV grew up in North Carolina, where as a teenager he would travel by Greyhound bus to listen to performances at the Grand Ole Opry.
His musical career took off with the pop hit "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" in 1956.Several years later, while sitting in the Grand Ole Opry audience, he decided to switch from pop to country. His hit songs also included "Abilene" and "Before This Day Ends."
"We've lost a member of our family," a post on the Opry's Twitter page said. "George Hamilton IV will be missed by all. Thanks for continued prayers."
(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Trott)