(Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), 4950 x 3669 px (16.50 x 12.23 in) - 300 dpi - 4 MB. [2] The third of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his family in Rockville, Connecticut, during his formative years. In 1964, he recorded the singles It Hurts to Be in Love (No.7 in US) and I'm Gonna Be Strong (No.9 in US and No. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Mark Howes of his management company In Touch Music said the singer was found in his bed. [10] Giving a performance of his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime along in time to his backing track";[11] he continued with the song, and found humor in the incident. , updated In high school, he was part of the band "Gene Pitney and the Genials". The real breakthrough for Gene came with the song "Town Without Pity" which was the title song to the movie of the same name. Pitney, who was midway through a UK tour, was discovered in his bed at the Cardiff Hilton on Wednesday morning (April 5). (Orlowsky) and Harold F. Pitney, who was a lathe operator. Gene teamed up with Marc Almond to cover his sixties hit "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". American Singer Gene Pitney was born Gene Francis Alan Ptney on 17th February, 1940 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA and passed away on 5th Apr 2006 Cardiff, Wales, UK aged 66. Gene had a love of music from an early age. Due to a publishing conflict, he was unable to receive a writing credit for. In 1962 he sent a demo record to Musicor Records, called "I Wanna Love My Life Away". It reached number 5 in the UK charts and marked the beginning of his rise in popularity throughout the U.K. and Europe.Between 1963 and 1966, Gene consistently produced top 10 hits in the UK. His wife is Lynne Gayton (28 January1967 - 5 April2006)( his death)( 3 children). "They felt awful that he was so far away when it happened but they are glad that he is home now.". Gene enjoyed a short lived revival in 1974 with the hits "Trans-Canada Highway" and "Blue Angel". The single made the top 40 in the US and Britain. Later that year, he had his first solo release "Cradle Of My Arms" under the name Billy Bryan on the Blaze record label. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He was a great, unique singer of great, unique songs.. He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut. In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road in order to spend more time with his family. The cause of Gene Pitney's death has been confirmed. Wedding: Lynne C. Gayton to Gene Pitney (Pop Star) - The Bridgeport Post, Jan. 26, 1967 (Thu) Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish, and German and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. 5 in UK in 1964, marking his increasing popularity in UK. 2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". On 18 March 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He recorded albums with country greats like George Jones and Melba Montgomery and was quite successful. He recorded a Bacharach and David song, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, which peaked at No. The Mick Jagger/Keith Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" established his worldwide fame and he followed it up with "I'm Gonna be Strong", "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" (a million seller), "I Must be Seeing Things", "Princess in Rags", "Backstage", "Just One Smile", "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" and "Nobody Needs Your Love". Among his most famous hits are Town Without Pity , (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance , Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa , Im Gonna Be Strong , and It Hurts To Be In Love . A: Mumbo Jumbo. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. The duet brought him his first UK No. Lynne Gayton (28 January1967 - 5 April2006)( his death)( 3 children). Despite this the song was well received and it's mix of the pop and country genres worked extremely well. It won a Golden Globe Award and an Oscars nomination for the Best Song. . 2 UK). He also recorded an album of folk songs. Overall, Gene had 16 top 40 hits in the US and an amazing 40 top 40 songs in the UK. His first hit was (I Wanna) Love My Life Away in 1961, but he took another 28 years to score a Number One, when his duet with Marc Almond on Somethings Gotten Hold Of My Heart went all the way to the top. A Burt Bacharach/Hal David song it was originally intended to be the title song to the movie of the same name but it never did appeared in the movie. Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter, born February 17 1941; died April 5 2006. In 1962, he recorded what would become his highest-charting song, Only Love Can Break a Heart, that peaked at No. The cause of Gene Pitney's death at 65 has been confirmed. Gene Pitney was an American Singer, songwriter, musician, and sound engineer.He is well known for his chart making hit songs and recordings. His big break came when Roy Orbison recorded Today's Teardrops as the B-side to Blue Angel. It was followed by Rubber Ball for Bobby Vee and Hello Mary Lou for Ricky Nelson. The son of a mill worker, Pitney said childhood ambitions of becoming a performer could not have been further from his mind. Further success would come with Ricky Nelson recording "Hello Mary Lou" (a Top 5 in the US) and "He's a Rebel" for Phil Spector's group, The Crystals. He loved music since his childhood and joined a band in high school. Despite showing no signs of ill health prior to his death, the singer passed away after performing a show in the Welsh capital. | His biggest success was in the 1960s and he enjoyed a 1989 revival with his chart-topping duet, Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart, with Marc Almond. Gene Pitney is a member of Rock Singer. The couple had three sons together. Marc Almond recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album Stardom Road. He was the first pop singer to ever perform at the Oscar's and it helped to significantly raise his profile in the US.Following hot on the heels of "Town Without Pity" was "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". He attended Rockville High School where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. "He's a Rebel" would eventually reach number 1 in the UK and ironically deny Pitney the chance at a number 1 himself. 4 in 1962. It was followed by Town Without Pity which became his first Top 20 single. Marked by his piercing, pained, and melodramatic tenor, he was often characterized (very unfairly) as a shallow teen idol type of singer. His songs gained notable popularity in US and UK and he was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Embed Save PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. Gene Pitney's wife Was Lynne Pitney. Gene Pitney, (born February 17, 1941, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.died April 5, 2006, Cardiff, Wales), American singer and songwriter known for dramatic pop balladry. Gene had a love of music from an early age. On September 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut. Especially in Italy where he came second in the San Remo song contest with the song "Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare". With his popularity now firmly established in the US and growing in the UK Gene began to churn the hits out with amazing regularity. Soon, his focus shifted to only music. "Only Love Can Break a Heart" was denied number 1 in the US charts by Pitney's own composition "He's a Rebel" sung by The Crystals. He also wrote the early-1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Bobby Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. American singing legend Gene Pitney died of natural causes, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. - Gene Pitney Tribute Site These first three pictures were kindly supplied by Anne Griffiths. "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "If I Didn't Have a Dime", "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", "Mecca", "It Hurts to be in Love" and "True Love Never Runs Smooth" were all hit records for Gene in the US. ", The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal on season 3, Neighbours announces seven more returning cast. Burt Bacharach, who wrote Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa, called Pitney "a rare talent and a beautiful man". Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 5 for Pitney in 1967. [13] It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, in which presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment. Id love the Rolling Stones to come and play at the party Im sure theyll still be touring long after I am dead. He is survived by his wife Lynn and sons David, Todd and Chris. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote his hit That Girl Belongs to Yesterday which became the Stones duo's first composition to reach the American charts. His wife is Lynne Gayton (28 January 1967 - 5 April 2006) ( his death) ( 3 children) Gene Pitney Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. In 1962 he sent a demo record to Musicor Records, called "I Wanna Love My Life Away". Pitney, who was midway through a UK tour, was discovered in his bed at the Cardiff Hilton. 17 on US Hot 100. He is from USA. What was the cause of Gene Pitneys death? He also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish and German. American singing legend Gene Pitney died of natural causes, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Pitney - who found fame with Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa - was pronounced dead at the Hilton hotel at 1000 BST. , money, salary, income, and assets. At 66 years old, Gene Pitney height not available right now. Pitney died on 5 April at the age of 65 of natural causes, hours after coming off stage during his UK tour. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville. Mr Howes told BBC Wales that everyone had been shocked by the death and there had been no signs that he was ill. "He did a good show last night at St David's Hall and it was wonderful," he said. His US career started declining after his song She's a Heartbreaker made it to the Top 40 in mid-1968. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 14) marked his comeback by featuring in the Top 40 in 1974. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer. "Gene moved on quickly though and his first solo song came with "Cradle of My Arms" albeit under the name Billy Bryan. And finally in 1989 achieved what had eluded him at the peak of his popularity, a number 1 single in the UK. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gene Pitney was the man with one of the unique voices in music history, awesomely talented and brilliant. Gene and his family. Pitney was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff the morning after playing at the city's St David's Hall. Pitney has continually toured over the last 40 years. (Orlowski) and Harold F. "Rebel" kept Pitney's own No. "Rubber Ball", another Pitney song, became a hit for Bobby Vee in the US and Marty Wilde in the UK. Pitney has often been categorized (quite unfairly) as a teen-idol singer responsible only for melodramatic, angst-ridden ballads. Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee, "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson, and "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals (later recorded by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks). (Orlowsky) and Harold F. Pitney, a lathe operator. Pitney died on 5 April at the age of 65 of natural causes, hours after coming off stage during his. Also Known As: Gene Francis Alan Pitney Died At Age: 66 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Lynne Gayton (m. 1967) father: Harold F. Pitney mother: Anna A. Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. Gene has never looked back since then and has toured almost continuously throughout the nineties. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1966, and had three children with her. Today we welcome famous widow, Lynne Pitney, wife of famous Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Gene Pitney, to our joy -ous club, the club that nobody wants to joy -n. Ever. Gene Pitney And Lynne Gayton. 2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (No. Wiki User. 7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. Gene enjoyed a short lived revival in 1974 with the hits "Trans-Canada Highway" and "Blue Angel". He recorded a Bacharach and David song, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, which peaked at No. Photograph: Getty Richard Williams Thu 6 Apr 2006 05.09 EDT (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. Jane Corbett's pictures Pictures of Gene's Grave. Between 1963 and 1966, Gene consistently produced top 10 hits in the UK. In high school, he was part of the band "Gene Pitney and the Genials". Whether you like it or not you know when it is Gene. 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