Josh Hamilton
Beaufort’s Very Own Musical Hamilton
story by ERIN WALLACE
photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
Over the last couple of decades, technology has aided us in allowing music to be right at our fingertips. Whether it’s the newest album of your favorite musician, you can tap on Spotify or quickly look up a music video you enjoyed as a young teen on YouTube. When the options are endless, we can miss what is right in front of us: talented musicians that are currently trying to make a name for themselves, or musicians who are actively performing, but we haven’t heard of them yet. Lucky for us, the music scene in Beaufort is quite hot, and one can almost always stumble upon local music by simply paying attention when walking around town. Attending the variety of festivals scattered throughout the year, strolling the riverfront, and hearing local musicians playing at many restaurants will all bring new artists and local favorites to your ear. Beyond that, music constantly surrounds USCB Center for the Arts with musicals and plays galore!
Some new incredible talent and a name that you all need to keep your ears open for is Josh Hamilton! Josh is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. A guy who caught the music bug quite early in life. He remembers listening to music in his room as a kid, making sure he learned the ins and outs of the vocal parts of his favorite songs. Right after studying music at Bowling Green State University, Josh moved to Chicago where his passion for opera would first professionally make its debut. Then it was on to New York, the place that really propelled Josh into a life of travel, music, and acting all rolled into one. Josh spent seventeen years working as a professional singer and actor for Broadway national tours while also performing opera. He also sang for Disneyland in LA and Disney in Shanghai, China as a singer in Club 33 and hotels around the park. What started in 2006 led to nearly two decades of Josh being on the road or sea; with full force, he pursued his passion, traveling to about any place you can think of while picking up as many gigs as he could get his hands on. Some gigs you may recognize are Mamma Mia! National Tour, where Josh was the Dad cover for two years in that role, and he also played Galahad in Monty Python’s Spamalot National Tour.
As of right now, Josh has traveled to 87 countries. Some memorable travel destinations for Josh include Antarctica, inside the Amazon River, the North Pole, Egypt, Israel, and all over the Mediterranean. All of these destinations were made possible by the cruise ships he had worked on throughout the years. Josh quite literally got off the ship in 2019, ending his time performing at sea. The same year, he met his now fiancé, Cait, a therapist. Their relationship began right before Covid hit, of all times. It was upon returning to the Midwest to spend time with his family that their paths would cross. Josh recalls, “It was almost like fate. It was like we both had to go back to Ohio to meet each other.” What a beautiful sentiment, as they initially met through online dating and instantly hit it off. It looked like a straight three weeks of constant communication on the phone; Josh couldn’t deny his feelings for Cait even after their first few days of talking.
After those few weeks of an undeniable connection, they decided to meet. In that first moment together, the two adventurous souls spontaneously decided to go on a road trip to Charleston. Josh laughed as he recalled telling Cait at the start of their trip, “You’ll know if you hate me after our first couple of hours together on the road.” Good thing they didn’t have to turn around, as they are the perfect co-passengers for not only road trips, but all that life has in store for them. The two continued to fall deeper in love, and they bought a house together, living in Ohio for a couple of years. As their love grew, so did the longing for the South, especially for warmer weather and, most definitely, for the beach.
This is where Beaufort enters the picture. When the pair found their perfect coastal home with a big backyard for their three dogs and six chickens in 2021, you could say that the Lowcountry was a done deal. Josh raves about the beauty of the marsh and all the wildlife, such as the species of birds and dolphins you see that were nowhere to be found in the Midwest. Yet another draw for the soon-to-be married couple is that Beaufort is wedged right in between Savannah and Charleston, where they both have strong ties and connections to the cities and people in them. Since Josh has been to almost half of all the countries in the world, it is mightily impressive when he said that Beaufort, by far, is one of the most breathtaking small towns he’s ever been in, and the fact that he now gets to live here is not wasted on him.
If you haven’t noticed, traveling and adventure are very important to the dynamic duo. Josh and Cait hope to get married in Barcelona or Italy, and then come back to have a private celebratory gathering stateside with their close friends and family. I have no doubt it will be like something from a fairy tale. If you haven’t met Josh yet, you’ll be sure to run into him over at Old Bull Tavern, as he is one of the managers there. Josh has been managing this Downtown Beaufort staple for almost two years and thoroughly enjoys it. The move to Beaufort also included transitioning from being a performer to being a teacher. Although Josh’s end goal is to be able to work for himself, as music and acting are his life’s calling, the community he has met through the restaurant is nothing short of amazing. Josh mentions that networking is everything in his line of work, so becoming plugged into the community in this sort of way has been vital. It helps Beaufort feel more like home and attracts new students through word of mouth.
At the end of the day, becoming friends with people is the aim for Josh because there is more trust built there rather than simply offering a service and hoping people will simply choose it. Josh currently teaches voice lessons and hopes to teach approximately 25-30 students weekly. Josh’s business is already gaining traction as he begins to transition from Old Bull into a musical career. Josh’s future dreams include teaching privately and at some of the surrounding music institutions, which would be ideal for both himself and hopeful students. He has set his sights on returning to the stage; while no plans have been firmly set, keep his name in mind when passing by fliers for live music. If you see a sign for Josh Hamilton, you had better get yourself there.
Josh mentions that “teaching is doing,” so if he even had the chance to perform somewhere, whether acting in a scene or singing a song, he would be able to get his work out there, which would bring more teaching opportunities. Overall, Josh says that if any of you Beaufortonians are looking for voice and/or acting lessons, he is your guy and would love for you to reach out to him for inquiries, whether it’s through email, text, and/or call. His number is 419-206-0182 and his email is jtham2121@gmail.com. Truth be told, this man is a one-person musical with all the talent he naturally possesses from years of dedication and a hard work ethic. He is for sure that musician/actor who has already made a name for himself, but Beaufort hasn’t fully heard of him yet. Let’s get out there and make him known!
