Composer
Gene Pitney
American recording artist, singer and songwriter (1940-2006)
1941–2006
5 works in the index
- Born
- 1941
- Died
- 2006
- Birthplace
- Hartford
- Place of death
- Cardiff
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter and musician known predominantly for emotive, dramatic ballads heightened by an expansive range and sorrowful vocals. He also recorded country music. Between 1961 and 1968 Pitney charted with 16 Top 40 hits on Billboard's Hot 100, including four Top Tens. Between 1961 and 1974 in the United Kingdom he charted with 21 Top 40 solo hits, ten of them Top Ten. In 1989, in a collaboration with Marc Almond, he reached number one in the UK singles chart with an updated duet version of his 1967 UK hit "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". Pitney also charted strongly in Australia, including a mid-1970s comeback.
Pitney's most famous recordings include "Town Without Pity", "It Hurts to Be in Love", "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (his one transatlantic Top Ten: US no. 9/UK no. 2), "Half Heaven – Half Heartache", "Mecca" and four Bacharach/David songs: "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "True Love Never Runs Smooth" and "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" (US no. 17/UK no. 5), the latter of which has emerged as his signature song. Plus the 1968 North American one-hit-comeback single "She's a Heartbreaker". Eight of his solo UK Top Tens — including "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" (US no. 28/UK no. 3) and "Nobody Needs Your Love" (UK no. 2) — either were minor hits or failed to chart in the States.
His songwriting credits include "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" — his own 1961 chart debut (US no. 39) — and the Crystals' 1962 US number-one hit "He's a Rebel". He co-wrote two international hits that reached the US Top Ten: Bobby Vee's "Rubber Ball" (1960) and Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou" (1961).
In 2002 Pitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- singer-songwriter; singer; songwriter; composer; pianist; recording artist; musician
- Education
- Rockville High School
- Genres
- pop music; country music
- Official website
- http://www.genepitney.com
- Birth name
- Gene Francis Alan Pitney
- VIAF ID
- 61732838
- ISNI
- 0000000073579261
- GND ID
- 103934545
- Library of Congress ID
- n83046566
- MusicBrainz ID
- 828b1208-2ce4-40c1-b659-11d7f540748c
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Piano, Vocal, Guitar, Voice
- Genres represented
- pop, Rock, Jazz
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 5
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Without Pity | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice, Vocal | Jazz, Rock, pop | 10 |
| Hello Mary Lou | — | — | — | Guitar | Rock | 5 |
| Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart | — | — | — | — | pop | 3 |
| Only Love Can Break a Heart | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | pop | 1 |
| He's a Rebel | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 61732838. Portrait: William Morris Agency (management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.