David McGrath
Dave McGrath has been telling stories – if you believe his mother – since he learned how to talk. He also loves the sound of his own voice, so his career in radio and news has been a win-win for him. Add to this his long career selling merchandise on the road for pop superstars from the 1960s like Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts, and Gene Pitney, and McGrath has lived a vibrant and storied life!
“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work with some musical greats, selling merchandise like CDs, books, DVDs, and T-shirts at their concerts,” McGrath explains. “It’s a great way to make money, travel, and meet all of my musical heroes.”
One such relationship was with Gene Pitney. “I met Gene while I was in high school, and in 1983 he asked me to run his International Fan Club. Then, in 1985, we became partners in the merchandise business. We created, produced, and sold Gene’s merchandise on tour. That relationship with a star of Gene’s stature led to other stars, like Peter and Dion, asking me to handle their merchandise, too. With my wife, Guida Brown, we continue doing so today,” McGrath states.
Dave’s career in radio dates back to 1968. He has worked at WRKR, WLIP, WRJN, WAUK, WQFM, and Light 97 WLTQ, among other stations in this area. He is currently the News Director at WGTD Radio, Public Radio for Racine and Kenosha.
While always working in radio, for many years Dave also worked concurrently at Happenings Magazine, a leading Midwest publication based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “I was editor and feature writer. That is where I was given the opportunity to learn how to write and make contacts with celebrities as well as public relations and media professionals. It was an invaluable experience in learning the ropes and the vagaries of the entertainment business. That job set me up to do what I have done with this Gene Pitney book.”
McGrath lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is married to Guida Brown.
Reach out to David at PitneyFan@GenePitneyBook.com
Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney was born in Rockville, Connecticut, in 1940 and later settled in nearby Somers, Connecticut; became a pop music sensation in the 1960s; married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, in 1967; had three sons, Todd, Chris, and David; had a stellar, decades-long singing career; then, sadly, died in Cardiff, Wales, while on a sold-out tour in 2006. He is buried in Somers, Connecticut.
The phenomenal pop star, who charted 16 times in the Top 40 in the US and 22 times in the Top 40 in the UK, was a hometown hero because he never left. He loved being known as “the Rockville Rocket.” Gene was oftentimes described as “the small-town boy who made it in the big-time world of music.” He valued the relationships he had both inside and outside the music business. Those relationships outlived him. To this day, anybody who ever worked with Gene as a songwriter, producer, or tour promoter speaks highly of his talent, professionalism, and down-to-earth personality, and easy-going nature. Other musical stars from the 1960s who knew and worked with Gene speak genuinely of his affability, charm, and character.
Every one of them is still in awe of his talent. Gene Pitney was one-of-a-kind.