Gene Pitney (1941-2006) Rock n Roller-Songwriter. Clean Imaged Teen Idol with a soaring tenor voice that could give pathos to his some of the smaltzy ballads that make him popular. Influenced by the black R & B groups he began with his own band in high school. He first recorded in 1959 for Decca under the name Jamie and Jane, with Ginny Arnell and recorded by Blaze as Billy Bryan. Pitney also began writing songs including such hits as Hello Mary Lou for Rick Nelson, Rubber Ball for Bobby Vee, He's a Rebel for Darlene Love and the Crystals and for such performers as Roy Obison, who recorded three of his songs, Steve Lawrence, et al. Bert Bacharach and Hal David heard him and it was with them that he had some of his greatest hits. Pitney was a staple of the Brill Building at the height of its popularity and recorded songs by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Carole King and Garry Goffin and others. Pitney scored 16 Top Twenty Hits from 1961-68. His hits include I Want To Love My Life Away (which he wrote), Town Without Pity (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (theme to the John Ford film. The song went to #4 on the charts), Only Love Can Break a Heart (#2 1962), Half Heaven Half Heartache, Mecca (my personal favorite JA, Sr.), True Love Never Runs Smooth, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, It Hurts To Be In Love, I¿m Gonna Be Strong, I Must Be Seeing Things, Last Chance To Turn Around, Looking Through the Eyes of Love, Princes in Rags, Backstage, She¿s A Heartbreaker, etc. Pitney also worked with some of music's super-stars. He can be heard playing the maracas on Buddy Holly's classic Not Fade Away and the piano on the flipside Little By Little. In 1963, while touring Europe he met the young Rolling Stones and recorded their song That Girl Belongs To Yesterday. The song went to #4 in England and was the first American chart song for the Richards-Jaggar writing team. He also worked with Phil Spector whose early Wall of sound and be heard , with the doo-wob backing, on With Every Breath I Take. Pitney later turned to Country Music and recorded with George Jones. Always popular in Europe, he had a British #1 hit in the 1980s (Something's Got A Hold on My Heart a duel with Mark Arnold) and recorded his hits in both French and Italian. In 2002 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Inscribed Signed 3x5 Card

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