Only Love Can Break a Heart...

Born February 17, 1941, the Rockville rocket was one of the most incredible and unique singers and performers to have ever graced the pop charts. Gene began his career in 1961 with a demo of a song he had written called "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" which he recorded on his own for around $30. Pitney played piano, guitar and drums on the piece as well as multi-tracking seven vocals. Most of the budget went to the hired bass player.

The demo was released as a single by Musicor Records and Mr. Pitney was off and running. In 1962 Gene Pitney became the first pop star to appear at the Academy Awards, performing the Dmitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington tune "Town Without Pity".

Gene had initially broken into the rock 'n' roll biz as a songwriter. Among his top 40 hits are Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou", the Crystals "He's a Rebel" and "Rubber Ball" by Bobby Vee.

Pitney's recording of "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was the first Mick Jagger, Keith Richard composition to chart in the United States, hitting number forty-nine in 1964, predating the Rolling Stones own recording, "Tell Me". Gene also had a hand in the recording of the Stone's "England's Hitmakers" LP, contributing piano and maracas.

"Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa", "Mecca", "Town Without Pity", "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", "It Hurts to be in Love", his hits are just too numerous to mention. The Phil Spector produced "Every Breath I Take" is considered one of the first examples of the "wall of sound" that Spector became famous for.

Gene Pitney was inducted into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame in 2002, his award presented by Darlene Love.

Pitney died April 4, 2006 after one last killer performance at Saint David's Hall Cardiff, Wales. There will never be another quite like him. He was 65.

RIP