(Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. Whether you like it or not you know when it is Gene. (Orlowsky) siblings: Dennis Pitney, Francis Pitney children: Chris, David, Todd Born Country: United States Pop Musicians Lyricists & Songwriters Died on: April 5, 2006 place of death: Cardiff, Wales Gene had a love of music from an early age. Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter, born February 17 1941; died April 5 2006. He once recalled how his first solo performance at school degenerated into an embarrassing whimper as Pitney was petrified by the expectant audience. He was on a UK tour and had shown no signs of illness. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. The cause of his death was ascertained to be a heart attack. He also performed it at Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962, becoming the first pop singer to do so. Early Life. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. He followed up in December with "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", which reached No. He recorded a Bacharach and David song, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, which peaked at No. The song received a Golden Globe Award, reached the US top 20 and Gene also performed it at the Academy Awards. And finally in 1989 achieved what had eluded him at the peak of his popularity, a number 1 single in the UK. Marc Almond recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album Stardom Road. It won a Golden Globe Award and an Oscars nomination for the Best Song. Pitney was. At 66 years old, Gene Pitney height not available right now. Gene has never looked back since then and has toured almost continuously throughout the nineties.In 2002 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a fitting honour and a long overdue recognition of his talent.In April 2006, he was in the middle of a tour of the UK when he died in his hotel room following a concert in Cardiff. Pitney has often been categorized (quite unfairly) as a teen-idol singer responsible only for melodramatic, angst-ridden ballads. 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. He still appeared regularly on UK charts till 1974. 2 in US. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1966, and had three children with her. (Photo by Mario Ruiz/Getty Images) Save. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the song to Pitney. Overall, Gene had 16 top 40 hits in the US and an amazing 40 top 40 songs in the UK. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1966, and had three children with her. He married wife Lynee. Jason Derby, Other Works In high school, he was part of the band "Gene Pitney and the Genials". The 66-year-old, who was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff last week, was buried in Somers, Connecticut, after a service attended by friends, neighbours and lifelong fans. Despite this the song was well received and it's mix of the pop and country genres worked extremely well. He recorded a Bacharach and David song, Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, which peaked at No. American singing legend Gene Pitney died of natural causes, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. So, how much is Gene Pitney worth at the age of 66 years old? After high school, he studied electrical engineering while simultaneously focusing on music. His streak of success continued through 1976 with songs like Down This Road, and Days of Summer. 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. The 65-year-old, who died in the Cardiff Hilton last week, was suffering from hardening of the arteries, according to his death certificate. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Please note: images depicting historical events may contain themes, or have descriptions, that do not reflect current understanding. Gene and his family. Lord Mayor of Cardiff Freda Salway noted: "I was extremely saddened to hear about the death of Gene Pitney. He also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish and German. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1966, and had three children with her. Gene Pitney's income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. "Rubber Ball", another Pitney song, became a hit for Bobby Vee in the US and Marty Wilde in the UK. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. In 1989, while performing live on ITV's This Morning show, he missed his cue for the song You're the Reason and couldnt mime with the beats in time! In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, including 11 in the top ten. Pitney's popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No. In 1961, Gene Pitney recorded his first Top 20 single, Town Without Pity which had been penned by Tiomkin and Ned Washington. Mourning Joy: Q: What do you call the elephant witch doctor? 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. However, his music and studies were coming into increasing conflict and Gene began to move more towards his musical ambitions. 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. Lynne Gayton (28 January1967 - 5 April2006)( his death)( 3 children). He grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut. Gene Pitney has one of the most distinctive voices in music. Pitney's career in the US took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. Because of his success on the music charts, and as he explained to his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown radio disc jockey at the time gave Pitney the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket', which caught on. The event was emceed by oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. 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 . In Australia, his songs Blue Angel (No. | This is to deny the true talent of the man and the extensive range he possesses. Especially in Italy where he came second in the San Remo song contest with the song "Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare".He also recorded a number of his hits in Italian. Who was the host of Gene Pitneys funeral? 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). In 1962, he recorded what would become his highest-charting song, Only Love Can Break a Heart, that peaked at No. In 1966, his single Nobody Needs Your Love peaked at No. His songs gained notable popularity in US and UK and he was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Record Covers More Record Covers Magazine or newspaper articles Memories Blog About Contact Gene Video's from Youtube. His US career started declining after his song She's a Heartbreaker made it to the Top 40 in mid-1968. With his popularity now firmly established in the US and growing in the UK Gene began to churn the hits out with amazing regularity. In December the same year, his Half Heaven, Half Heartache reached No.12 on the Billboard chart. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little" and other tracks for their debut album;[6] he played piano, though the extent of this is uncertain. In 1966, Gene Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the couple had three sons together, Todd, Chris, and Patrick Ewing. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. In addition to this Pitney began to make forays into other areas of music once again demonstrating his vocal range. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to the Top 40 in 1974, when both "Blue Angel" (No. BORN GENE FRANCIS ALAN PITNEY - HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT FEBRUARY 17, 1941 DIED - CARDIFF - WALES - APRIL 5, 2006 COPIOUS COUNTRY IN GENE'S GENES When Gene Pitney emulated Buck Owens by dying in his sleep after his finale concert it was more than just serendipitous timing and modern history repeating. Lynne Pitney, center, wife of singer Gene Pitney, follows her husband's casket out of All Saints Catholic Church. "I know that he had many Welsh fans and his performances were always enthusiastically received. Collect, curate and comment on your files. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, initially he found more success as a songwriter rather than as a singer. The couple had three sons together. The real breakthrough for Gene came with the song "Town Without Pity" which was the title song to the movie of the same name. Gene's career as an artist in his own right began with the self-penned "I Wanna Love My Life Away" which he recorded for $30 at a small recording studio in New York. Legendary crooner Gene Pitney has sadly passed away. On September 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut. Gene's career as an artist in his own right began with the self-penned "I Wanna Love My Life Away" which he recorded for $30 at a small recording studio in New York. What was even more amazing is that Gene recorded all 7 vocal tracks as well as playing the piano, guitar and drums on the song. In 1965, he recorded two hit albums with singer George Jones and they became the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. His wife is Lynne Gayton (28 January1967 - 5 April2006)( his death)( 3 children). Pitney - who found fame with Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa - was pronounced dead at the Hilton hotel at 1000 BST. The cause of death is not yet known but is not suspicious. They recorded Classical Rock & Roll in 1959 followed by a single called Cradle of My Arms.. Singer Gene Pitney (2L) playing guitar w. sons Todd (R) & David (2R), & wife Lynne (L) playing back-up instruments at home. He is also credited with helping the Rolling Stones break the American market with his endorsement of the band. They were taken just a few days after Gene's funeral. Unrivaled Mac notes apps for fuss-free note-taking, 6 Actionable Tips for Improving Your Websites SEO, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. Gene Pitney's wife Was Lynne Pitney. Portrait of singer Gene Pitney and his pregnant wife Lynne Gayton during a holiday in Italy, circa 1968. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, "Town Without Pity", from the 1961 film of the same title. The son of a mill worker, Pitney said childhood ambitions of becoming a performer could not have been further from his mind. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Gene Pitney was born on February 17, 1940 in Rockville, Connecticut, the son of Anna A. Today is a sad day.". He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut. Pitney, who was midway through a UK tour, was discovered in his bed at the Cardiff Hilton. On April 5, 2006, during his UK tour, he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. 5 in UK in 1964, marking his increasing popularity in UK. His maternal grandparents were Polish. Almond said of his old singing colleague upon hearing of his death: It was an honour to have worked with him. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. On it Pitney not only sang but played all the instruments, in addition to recording the backup vocals (he didn't have the money to hire singers or musicians). Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The song had been a UK No. Gene Pitney was staying in an executive suite at the Hilton, Pitney returned to the charts with Marc Almond in 1989, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, The songwriter who became a star in his own right. "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" marked a significant shift in Gene's musical direction. Pitney has often been categorized (quite unfairly) as a teen-idol singer responsible only for melodramatic, angst-ridden ballads. Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter, born February 17 1941; died April 5 2006. Portrait of singer Gene Pitney and his pregnant wife Lynne Gayton during a holiday in Italy, circa 1968. Who Is Gene Pitney's Wife? Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States,[3] the son of Anna A. (Orlowsky) and Harold F. Pitney, a lathe operator. Gene Pitney was born on 17 February 1940, in Hartford, Connecticut, to Anna A. [7] In the US, the single stalled at No. 2 in UK.