He was buried at the Somers Centre Cemetery following a service at the nearby All Saints Church. On April 5, 2006, during his UK tour, he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. He recorded his self-penned song (I Wanna) Love My Life Away which was released on Schroeders Musicor label in 1961. They recorded Classical Rock & Roll in 1959 followed by a single called Cradle of My Arms.. On September 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut. 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. The duet outdid the original which could only make number 5 in 1967. [14][15], Pitney was touring the UK in the spring of 2006 when his manager found him dead in his hotel room following a concert in Cardiff, Wales, on April 5. Gene Pitney was an American singer, songwriter, and sound engineer best known for his song Town Without Pity. In 1965, he recorded two hit albums with singer George Jones and they became the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Other massive hits for Pitney included 24 Hours From Tulsa and Im Gonna Be Strong. 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. 2023 Getty Images. He still appeared regularly on UK charts till 1974. Between 1963 and 1966, Gene consistently produced top 10 hits in the UK. The cause of his death was ruled to be a heart attack. Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter, born February 17 1941; died April 5 2006. He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut. Also learn how He earned most of Gene Pitney networth? UK pianist Maurice Merry was his musical director from 1970 onwards. The cause of death is not yet known but is not suspicious. "He's a Rebel" would eventually reach number 1 in the UK and ironically deny Pitney the chance at a number 1 himself. Almond said of his old singing colleague upon hearing of his death: It was an honour to have worked with him. The funeral of singer Gene Pitney has been held in his home town of Somers, in Connecticut. Overcoming his nerves over the next few years, Pitney learned to play the guitar and piano and formed a schoolboy band. Jason Derby, Other Works He once recalled how his first solo performance at school degenerated into an embarrassing whimper as Pitney was petrified by the expectant audience. The cause of Gene Pitney's death at 65 has been confirmed. Thu 6 Apr 2006 05.12 EDT. 5 in UK in 1964, marking his increasing popularity in UK. 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". In addition to this Pitney began to make forays into other areas of music once again demonstrating his vocal range. 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. 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 couple had three sons together. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a heart attack and that he had severely occluded coronary arteries. Pitney - who found fame with Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa - was pronounced dead at the Hilton hotel at 1000 BST. 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. She confirmed: As soon as it (the death) was deemed to be non-suspicious, the matter was handed over to the coroner.. Marked by his piercing, pained, and melodramatic tenor, he was often characterized (very unfairly) as a shallow teen idol type of singer. In high school, he was part of the band "Gene Pitney and the Genials". The 65-year-old, who died in the Cardiff Hilton last week, was suffering from hardening of the arteries, according to his death certificate. 03:37 EST 13 Apr 2006, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Police: Urgent search for Constance Marten's missing baby, Shocking video shows machete fight in broad daylight, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout. The song received a Golden Globe Award, reached the US top 20 and Gene also performed it at the Academy Awards. Gene Pitney was born on February 17, 1940 in Rockville, Connecticut, the son of Anna A. "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. He is from USA. I was shocked and saddened to hear of the. Gene Pitneys income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. Despite this the song was well received and it's mix of the pop and country genres worked extremely well. "He was a great, unique singer of great, unique songs. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, including 11 in the top ten. So, how much is Gene Pitney worth at the age of 66 years old? [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. Gene enjoyed a short lived revival in 1974 with the hits "Trans-Canada Highway" and "Blue Angel". "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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. "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. American singing legend Gene Pitney died of natural causes, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. Gene Pitney (Gene Francis Alan Pitney) was born on 17 February, 1940 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, is a Soundtrack, Actor. On April 5, 2006, during his UK tour, he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales, by his manager after a concert. Portrait of singer Gene Pitney and his pregnant wife Lynne Gayton during a holiday in Italy, circa 1968. 2 in UK. 5 in Britain at the start of 1964. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to the Top 40 in 1974, when both "Blue Angel" (No. A book of condolences has since been opened in the city centre. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart, and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit in the US, peaking at No. Two Great Stars - George Jones and Gene Pitney, "The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 19622008", "Results RPM Library and Archives Canada", THE OFFICIAL "WILD" WAYNE WEBSITE Connecticut based nationally known Oldies Radio DJ & friend of Gene Pitney, Interview with Gene Pitney in International Songwriters Association's "Songwriter Magazine", concentrating on his songwriting career, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gene_Pitney&oldid=1140261202, "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)", "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night", "She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning)", This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 07:18. This is to deny the true talent of the man and the extensive range he possesses. It was followed by Town Without Pity which became his first Top 20 single. It won a Golden Globe Award and an Oscars nomination for the Best Song. Gene Pitney has one of the most distinctive voices in music. "They felt awful that he was so far away when it happened but they are glad that he is home now.". 2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (No. (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 He followed up in December with "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", which reached No. 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. (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. It reached #39 on the charts. 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. As well as music, Gene was a keen student and, after high school, he began studying electrical engineering. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1966, and had three children with her. EEAAO star gives tearful speech after historic win, The best Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom deals. On 18 March 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The cause of death is not yet known but is not suspicious. [16] He was laid to rest at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut.[17]. - Gene Pitney Tribute Site These first three pictures were kindly supplied by Anne Griffiths. Whether you like it or not you know when it is Gene. Portrait of singer Gene Pitney and his pregnant wife Lynne Gayton during a holiday in Italy, circa 1968. With limited success as an artist, Gene began to find more success as a songwriter. He married wife Lynee. | Pictures of Gene's Grave. "I've seen him quite a few times on this tour and he was fit and well. With his popularity now firmly established in the US and growing in the UK Gene began to churn the hits out with amazing regularity. We will update Gene Pitney's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. 2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". 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. He was a great, unique singer of great, unique songs.. It was during one of their gigs that his distinctive voice was discovered by the "the proverbial fat man with a cigar" who took him off to New York. Mark Howes of his management company In Touch Music said the singer was found in his bed. His maternal grandparents were Polish. "Rubber Ball", another Pitney song, became a hit for Bobby Vee in the US and Marty Wilde in the UK. His US career started declining after his song She's a Heartbreaker made it to the Top 40 in mid-1968. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the song to Pitney. It reached number 5 in the UK charts and marked the beginning of his rise in popularity throughout the U. K. and Europe. 17 on US Hot 100. Gene Pitneys first break in the music industry came when he formed a duo named Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell. He was on a UK tour and had shown no signs of illness. He also recorded an album of folk songs. They are provided in a historical context. He recorded albums with country greats like George Jones and Melba Montgomery and was quite successful. In collaboration with songwriter Aaron Schroeder, he placed his songs with big artists. The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. Gene had a love of music from an early age. And finally in 1989 achieved what had eluded him at the peak of his popularity, a number 1 single in the UK. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" marked a significant shift in Gene's musical direction. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relative Edward Pitney. 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. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. , money, salary, income, and assets. His family asked for donations, in lieu of flowers, to be made to Connecticut Public Broadcasting Company and the Humane Society of the US. 2 in the UK, matching the No. 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. After a long break, he made his comeback with a duet version of Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart with singer Marc Almond; it reached and stayed at No.1 in UK for four weeks in January 1989, and gained the No.1 ranking in Germany, Switzerland, Finland, and Ireland. The body can now be flown back to the USA for the stars funeral. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The song received a Golden Globe Award, reached the US top 20 and Gene also performed it at the Academy Awards. 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 2020-2021. Gene Pitney's wife Was Lynne Pitney. (Orlowsky) and Harold F. Pitney, who was a lathe operator. (Orlowsky) and Harold F. Pitney, a lathe operator. He is also remembered for the Burt BacharachHal David song "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. He grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut. Although disappearing in the late seventies he made a successful touring comeback in 1983 with a sell out North American tour. Especially in Italy where he came second in the San Remo song contest with the song "Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare". Burt Bacharach, who wrote Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa, called Pitney "a rare talent and a beautiful man". A: Mumbo Jumbo. The event was emceed by oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. (Orlowski) and Harold F. 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