Gene Pitney

At 66 years old, Gene Pitney has this physical status:

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer.Pitney charted 16 Top 40 hits in the United States, four in the Top 10.

In the United Kingdom he had 22 Top 40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten.

He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson.

In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early years

Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, the son of Anna A. (Orlowski) and Harold F. Pitney. The third of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his family in Rockville, Connecticut, during his formative years. He grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut.

Pitney's early influences were Clyde McPhatter and doo-wop groups such as The Crows. He attended Rockville High School where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. Gene's first recordings were in 1958 with a CT singing group called the Embers. Those recordings were not released until 1990. In early 1959 he released two records on the Decca label, "Snuggle Up Baby" and "Classical Rock and Roll", as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell. Later that year, he had his first solo release "Cradle Of My Arms" under the name Billy Bryan on the Blaze record label. His first release under his real name was in 1960 on the Festival label titled "I'll Find You".

Personal life

At the height of his fame in 1967, Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the couple had three sons, Todd, Chris, and David.

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Career

Pitney performed many instruments and multi-tracked the vocals on his first chart single, which debuted on songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961. He debuted "Town Without Pity," his first Top 20 single from the 1961 film of the same name, in the same year. The song was written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but "Moon River" lost to "Moon River." Pitney performed the song at the Oscar ceremony on April 9, 1962.

He is also known for the Burt Bacharach-Hal David song "(The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), which reached No. 1 in the world. In 1962, there were 4 on the roster. Despite the fact that it has a common name with the John Wayne western, the song was not used in the film due to a publishing dispute.

Pitney also wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Ricky Nelson, "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals, later recorded by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks), as well as "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals. Pitney's No. was retained by the "Rebel" campaign. From the top spot on November 3, 1962, the only time a writer could keep himself (or herself) out of the No. 1 spot, he hit "Only Love Can Break a Heart," his highest-charting single in the United States, from the top spot. In the 1st position on the chart, the first position is ranked No. 1.

"Half Heaven, Half Heartache," the singer's record, which debuted at No. 96 in December. On the Billboard chart, there are 12 positions. Pitney gained a following on the charts thanks to his success on the charts, and as he told his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown radio disc jockey at the time, he gave him the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket,' which stuck around.

Pitney's fame in the UK market was ensured by the success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa," a Bacharach and David song that peaked at No. 9. At the start of 1964, there were 5 in the United Kingdom. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to make the top ten and the first to crack the Top Twenty; it was also a hit in the United States, peaking at No. 1. On the Hot 100, 17 people were on the Hot 100.

Pitney appeared at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Leta by Little" and others; the extent of this is uncertain.

It was a No. 1 on the Jagger-Richards album "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday." In 1964, 7 UK hits Pitney; the first song composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the single stalled at No. 67. Pitney's highest singles run came to a close, with 49 coming to an end.

Pitney regained form in the mid-1960s with the 1964 singles "It Hurts to Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong," which reached No. 1 after another low-charting single, "Yesterday's Hero" from 1964. 7 and No. In the United States, 9, respectively, and "Nobody Needs Your Love," 1966, which peaked at No. 9, respectively. There are 2 in the United Kingdom, corresponding to the No. 2 in the No. 2 that matched the No. 1. 2 The 2nd peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong" in the United Kingdom. Neil Sedaka's "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been designed for and performed by him, but RCA refused to publish it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside of RCA Victor, in breach of his contract. Pitney performed the song by Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, both writers. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, but Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies harmonies remained intact.

Pitney's 1966 debut with country singer George Jones. They were named the year's most promising country-and-western pair. Pitney has performed in Italian, Spanish, and German, and twice in Italy's annual Sanrico Caruso, where his strong vibrato brought older listeners of Enrico Caruso. "Nessuno mi pu giudicare" was a regional hit for him.

Pitney's career in the United States began in mid-1966, when "Backstage" brought a new series of Top 40 hits. He returned to the top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and appeared several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970, he was no longer a hit-maker in the United States.

Pitney enjoyed a fruitful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. Maurice Merry, a British pianist, served as his musical director from 1970 to 1950. Pitney, who had a low period in the early 1970s, has risen to the top 40 in Australia, when both "Blue Angel" (No. ) were present. "Trans-Canada Highway" (No. 2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (No. 2). 14 (David Mackay's production) received a lot of attention. Pitney maintained their position in the Australian charts until 1976, with the hit "Down This Road" written and produced by distant cousin Edward Pitney. They also worked on the development of the hit song "Days of Summer."

Pitney, a young boy from the 1970s, decided to spend less time with his family each year.

Pitney's last appearance on the UK charts came in 1989, after a long absence of 15 years when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond released a duet version of "Something's Gottenhold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway's "Somebody's Gotten Hold of My Heart." The song had been a UK No. 2 for a while. Pitney was ranked 5 on the 1967 world Cup of Excellence. He was his first UK No. 2 when he was duet. In late January 1989, the first person was born in northern Ireland. For four weeks, the single was at the top of the charts for four weeks before being pushed to No. 7. 1 in Germany, Finland, Switzerland, and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan television show in the United Kingdom.

Pitney sang harmony vocals on Jane Olivor's recording of her 1962 hit "Half Heaven – Half Heartache," which was released on her 'comeback' album Love Decides.

Pitney was inducted by singer Darlene Love into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 18, 2002.

Pitney appeared on ITV's This Morning in 1989, after a "technical blunder." Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime along in time to his backing track," in a tweet; he continued with the song and found humor in the situation. Over the years, it has been repeated on television, particularly on an episode of BBC One's Room 101, in which host Paul Merton referred to it as a "very funny moment" in which Pitney appeared "unbearably late." It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, in which host Holly Willoughby "broke out a cold sweat" when reliving the moment.

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