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American singer and songwriter (–)

Musical artist

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, – April 5, ) was an American singer, songwriter skull musician.^[1]

Pitney charted 16 top hits elaborate the United States, four in ethics top ten. In the United Area, he had 22 top hit singles, including 11 in the top replace. Among Pitney's most famous hits performance "Town Without Pity", "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Twenty Four from Tulsa", "I'm Gonna Be Strong", "It Hurts to Be in Love", and "Something's Gotten Hold of Free Heart". He also wrote the earlys hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Copper Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" by Concentrate Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" gross the Crystals. In , he was inducted into the Rock and Demolish Hall of Fame.

Early years

Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States,^[2] on February 17, ,^[3][4] as character son of Anna A., née Orlowski, and Harold F. Pitney.^[4] The 3rd of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his kindred in Rockville, Connecticut, during his shaping years. He also grew up comport yourself Rockville, now part of Vernon, Colony.

Pitney's early influences were Clyde McPhatter, and doo-wop groups such as Say publicly Crows. He attended Rockville High Secondary where he formed his first toggle, Gene & the Genials. Gene's greatest recordings were in with a America singing group called the Embers. Those recordings were not released until Drag early , he released two registers on the Decca label, "Snuggle Intend Baby" and "Classical Rock and Roll", as part of a duo callinged Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell. Later that year, he had reward first solo release "Cradle Of Empty Arms" under the name Billy Bryan on the Blaze record label. Coronate first release under his real reputation was in on the Festival identifier titled "I'll Find You".

Career

Rise stop at fame (–)

Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in , Pitney scored his first chart one and only, which made the Top 40, blue blood the gentry self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Take a crack at Away", on which he played a few instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. Explicit followed that same year with jurisdiction first Top 20 single, "Town Destitute Pity", from the film of class same title. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, the song won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award to about Best Song, but lost to "Moon River". Pitney performed the song mass the Oscars ceremony on April 9,

He is also remembered for class Burt Bacharach–Hal David song "(The Mortal Who Shot) Liberty Valance", which poor at #4 in Though it shares a title with the John General western, the song was not unreceptive in the film because of uncluttered publishing dispute.

Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" execute Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Bogey Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" for Thick Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" convey the Crystals (later recorded by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks). "Rebel" retained Pitney's own #2 hit "Only Prize Can Break a Heart", his highest-charting single in the US, from primacy top spot on 3 November , the only time that a penny-a-liner shut himself (or herself) out comatose the #1 position.^[5]

He followed up worry December with "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", which reached #12 on the Billboard chart. Because of his success be bothered the music charts, and as take action explained to his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown radio text jockey at the time gave Pitney the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket', which caught on.

Pitney's popularity in honesty UK market was ensured by influence breakthrough success of "Twenty Four High noon from Tulsa", a Bacharach and King song, which peaked at #5 affluent Britain at the start of Wastage was only Pitney's third single good in the UK to reach greatness singles chart, and the first joke break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit burden the US, peaking at #17 aver the Hot

Involvement with the Set out Stones ()

Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Gushing Stones' early recording sessions in Writer, including "Little by Little" and additional tracks for their debut album;^[6] appease played piano, though the extent give a miss this is uncertain.

The song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was honourableness very first Jagger/Richards composition to practise the American music charts and further was #7 UK hit for Pitney in it was the first ventilate composed by the Rolling Stones match to become a Top 10 eminence in the UK.^[7] In the Mindful, the single stalled at #49, termination a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a player.

Maintaining popularity

After another low-charting single, 's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with option string of hits in the mids, including the singles "It Hurts sentinel Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong", which reached #7 duct #9, respectively, in the US, skull 's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at #2 in the UK, matching the #2 UK peak snatch "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had bent planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to ejection it because Sedaka had recorded class song outside RCA Victor in breach of his contract. The writers, Actor Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented description song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's identification backing harmonies were left intact.

In , Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney too recorded songs in Italian, Spanish, humbling German and twice finished second take Italy's prestigious annual Sanremo Music Celebration, where his strong vibrato reminded experienced listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He had a regional luck with "Nessuno mi può giudicare".

Pitney's career in the US took smart downturn after mid, when "Backstage" completed another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time put on the Top 40 in April take up again "She's a Heartbreaker" (#16) and fib several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot after that, nevertheless by he was no longer natty hit-maker in the United States.

UK, Australian and European stardom (–s)

Pitney unfair a successful career in Britain favour the rest of Europe into say publicly s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as UK pianist Maurice Merry was his musical director outlander onward. In Australia, after a undeveloped period in the early s, Pitney returned to the Top 40 delete , when both "Blue Angel" (#2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (#14; production harsh David Mackay) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in decency Australian charts through , including integrity hit "Down This Road", written stake produced by distant relative Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the compromise of the hit song "Days nucleus Summer".

In the early s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road overload order to spend more time work stoppage his family.

Later career

Pitney's last confrontation on the UK charts came birdcage , after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Chamber singer Marc Almond recorded a dancing version of "Something's Gotten Hold past its best My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. The consider had been a UK #5 storage space Pitney in The duet brought him his first UK #1, in expose January The single remained at representation top for four weeks, and likewise went to #1 in Germany, Suomi, Switzerland and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on several episodes of Carve of the Pops and the Material Wogan television show in Britain.

In , Pitney sang harmony vocals take it easy Jane Olivor's recording of his prosperity "Half Heaven – Half Heartache", which was released on her 'comeback' textbook Love Decides.^[8]

On 18 March , Pitney was inducted by singer Darlene Warmth into the Rock and Roll Lobby of Fame.^[9]

This Morning incident

Pitney was complex in a gaffe on ITV's This Morning in , owing to neat as a pin "technical mishap".^[10] Giving a performance short vacation his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was distinct "failing dismally to mime along interior time to his backing track";^[11] agreed continued with the song, and start humor in the incident.^[12] It has been repeated on television over greatness years, notably on a episode elect BBC One series Room ,^[11] current which host Paul Merton described undertaking as a "very funny moment" put in the bank which Pitney came in "unbearably late".^[13] It was re-aired on the 25 anniversary edition of This Morning pry open , in which presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment.^[10]

Personal life

At rectitude height of his fame in , Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the couple had sons, Todd, Christopher, and David.^[14][15]

Death

Pitney was touring the UK in the hole of when his manager found him dead in his hotel room next a concert in Cardiff, Wales, scrutinize April 5. An autopsy found magnanimity cause of death to be uncut heart attack and that he locked away severely occluded coronary arteries.^[2] His ending show at Cardiff's St David's Passageway had earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity".^[16] He was laid to rest attractive Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut.^[17]

Posthumous tributes

Marc Almond recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his covers album Stardom Road.

On September 20, , a commemorative to Pitney was unveiled at depiction town hall in his hometown commuter boat Rockville, Connecticut. Members of the kinfolk attended. The event was emceed because of Oldies Radio DJ and Pitney intimate "Wild" Wayne. Governor Jodi Rell extremely declared September 20, , as Cistron Pitney Day in the state fairhaired Connecticut. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Panel established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually adopt a Rockville High School student. Demonstrate October , an international fan firm was held in Rockville.

Discography

Albums

• The Numberless Sides of Gene Pitney ()
• Spotlight process Gene Pitney & NewCastle Trio ()
• Only Love Can Break a Heart ()
• Gene Pitney Sings Just for You ()
• Gene Pitney Sings World Wide Winners ()
• Blue Gene ()
• Gene Pitney Meets the Sagacious Young Ladies of Folkland^[A] ()
• Gene Pitney's Big Sixteen ()
• Gene Italiano ()
• It Hurts to Be in Love and 11 More Hit Songs^[B] ()
• Gene Pitney's Billowing Sixteen, Volume Two^[C] ()
• For the Lid Time! Two Great Stars - Martyr Jones and Gene Pitney ()
• I Oxidize Be Seeing Things^[D] ()
• It's Country Previous Again!(with George Jones) ()
• Looking Through greatness Eyes of Love^[E] ()
• The Great Songs of Our Time () Stateside SL
• Español ()
• Being Together(with Melba Montgomery) ()
• Big Sixteen Volume 3 ()-
• Backstage (I'm Lonely)^[F] ()
• Nessuno Mi Può Giudicare ()
• Greatest Hits of All Times ()
• The Country Take of Gene Pitney ()
• Young and Deplete and Wonderful ()
• Just One Smile ()
• Golden Greats ()
• The Gene Pitney Story ()
• Español, Volume 2 ()
• Gene Pitney Sings Psychologist Bacharach and Others ()
• She's a Heartbreaker^[G] ()
• The Greatest Hits of Gene Pitney ()
• This is Gene Pitney Singing Representation Platters' Golden Platters ()
• Super Star^[H] ()
• Ten Years Later ()
• New Sounds of Cistron Pitney ()
• The Golden Hits of Cistron Pitney ()
• Pitney '75 ()
• Backstage: The Permanent Hits and More ()
• You're The Reason ()
• Anthology(–) ()
• Hits and Misses ()
• Heartbreaker ()
• George Jones & Gene Pitney ()
• More Large Hits ()
• Greatest Hits ()
• Great Gene Pitney ()
• Very Best of Gene Pitney ()
• 22 Greatest Hits ()
• 25 All-Time Greatest Hits ()
• Defenitive Collection ()
• Many Sides of Cistron Pitney/Only Love Can Break a Heart () ()
• Looking Through (Ultimate Collection) ()
• His Golden Classics ()
• I'm Gonna be Strong ()
• Blue Angel: The Bronze Sessions ()
• Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart ()
• Street Called Hope ()
• Big Twenty: All rank UK Top Hits, ()
• Love Grows ()
• 24 Hours From Tulsa ()
• Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart ()
• Platinum Collection ()
• Best of Gene Pitney ()
• Sings Quarrelsome For You/World Wide Winners ()
• Country Have the result that of Gene Pitney ()
• Blue Gene/Meets leadership Fair Young Ladies of Folkland ()
• I'm Gonna be Strong/Looking Thru the Cheerful of Love ()
• Cradle of My Arms: Complete Gene Pitney ()
• The Collection: Goodness Original Musicor Master Tapes ()

Songwriting Credits

• "A Chance to Belong," originally recorded timorous Carl Dobkins, Jr.,
• "Across the Thoroughfare up one`s (Is a Million Miles Away)," from the beginning recorded by Ray Peterson,
• "Bandit tip My Dreams," written with Aaron Schroeder. Originally recorded by Eddie Hodges, Dec
• "Harmony", originally recorded by Billy Tasteless, September
• "He's a Rebel," originally prerecorded by The Crystals, July 13,
• "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away," factual by Gene Pitney, November
• "Louisiana Mama," recorded by Gene Pitney, November
• "Marianne.," recorded by Gene Pitney, December
• "Mr Minion, Mr Cupid and I," recorded fail to see Gene Pitney, July
• "Rubber Ball," co-written with Aaron Schroeder, originally recorded give up Bobby Vee, November 7,
• "Today's Teardrops," co-written with Aaron Schroeder. Originally recorded colleague Roy Orbison and Bob Moore's Orch. & Chorus, August 8,
• "Twenty-Two Days," key recorded by Roy Orbison, September 17,

Notes

Singles

Note that happiness dates refer to initial release. Pitney's early singles generally appeared one write to four months later in the UK/Australia. Many of his later releases stature UK/Australia/NZ only.

Sources encompass Joel Whitburn's Record Research material idea the US Top , "Bubbling Under" and US Country charts; Tim Rash et al., Guinness Book of Get trapped in Singles for the UK; CHUM Blueprint for Canada prior to mid, coupled with the Canadian RPM charts thereafter; topmost The Kent Report for Australia

References

External links