From:   "Dik de Heer" <
Date:  Sun Feb 17, 2002  2:18 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Gene Pitney
 
GENE PITNEY

Born 17 February 1941, Hartford, Connecticut

Pop balladeer / songwriter.
During the sixties, Gene Pitney was a very popular singer, marked
by a soaring tenor with a distinctive edge. He first recorded for Decca
in 1959 with Ginny Arnell, as Jamie and Jane, then made a record for
Blaze as Billy Bryan in 1960. He first recorded under his own name
for Festival in 1960. Early successes as a songwriter were "Today's
Teardrops" (Roy Orbison), "Rubber Ball" (Bobby Vee), "Hello Mary
Lou" (Ricky Nelson) and "He's a Rebel", a # 1 for the Crystals.
All his 24 US chart entries (1961-69) were on the Musicor label,
starting with his most rocking song, "I Wanna Love My Life Away",
which also made the British Top 30. In the UK he was at least as
popular as in his native country, though he never scored a number
one on either side of the Atlantic, his biggest US hit being "Only
Love Can Break A Heart" (# 2, 1962), while two of his songs went
to # 2 in the UK: "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (1964) and "Nobody Needs
Your Love" (1966). His UK hit career would last a little longer than
his US chart run : until 1974. Later he would turn to country music,
and he even recorded in Italian.

Official website: http://www.gene-pitney.com
Recommended listening: Hits & Misses (Bear Family BCD 15724).